Calming the Chaos
by Lyonsgirl
Summary: Natsu Dragneel was not raised by Igneel. He was instead raised by Acnologia, the chaos dragon. He grew up to be quiet, rude, and he has a short temper. What happens when he meets the sweet, cheerful, very stuborn Lucy Heartfilia? Will she be able to calm the chaos or run like everyone else?
1. Chapter 1

**Hello! This is the first Fairy Tail fanfic I've ever done. This was also not originally my idea. It was thought up by other people, and I wanted to make my own version of it. I got the idea from another story called** _ **Eye of the Black Dragon**_ **by snakeboy33. It's really good, so I suggest you read it. Anyway, I wanted to say that this wasn't edited much. I just glanced over it a bit, so please excuse the mistakes. I hope you like the story!**

"Stingy old man only knocked off one thousand jewels," I grumbled. I stomped through the streets of Hargeon while continuing to mumble complains to myself. With a sigh, I decided to stop for a little rest. I stopped at a spot that overlooks a few shops and sat on the railing. "Where should I go now?" I asked myself.

I knew I didn't have anywhere to go back to. Joining a guild would be really great and a dream come true, but I don't know how to get into one. There's one I absolutely want to join, but I don't know how to get in let alone if they will even take me. Unfortunately for me, joining isn't an option right now. I don't even know where the guild is located. Even worse, I'm running out of money. I have to get a job soon, and if I can't find Fairy Tail soon, I'll be forced to give up my search and join another guild. If worse comes to worse, I can just join a merchants guild or something.

I'm brought out of my thoughts when I hear a girl yell to her friend, "Hurry up! I heard Salamander is here!"

"Who's Salamander?" her friend asked.

"Are you kidding me? You don't know who Salamander is? He's a famous mage!" the girl squealed.

That made my interest peak. _Why would a famous mage come to a town like this?_ I though. I decided to follow the girls to see Salamander. As soon as I saw him, my heart started to pound, my cheeks flushed, and I couldn't look away. I could only see and think of him. He had my undivided attention. I pushed my way to the front of the crowd. He smirked and gave me a wink. I suddenly got butterflies in my stomach. Barely containing my squeal, I held my hand over my heart out of reflex. _Is this love?_ I asked myself. I decided that it was, and I was going to stay with him forever. He's my home now.

"Why are you using a love charm?" someone asked.

My eyes widen in shock. The voice was amazing. It made my heart skip a beat, and I felt something shatter in me. I looked at Salamander again as he turned to the man with the amazing voice. That's when I saw the charm he was talking about. I sucked in a sharp breath and glared at Salamander. I turned my attention to the newcomer, and my breath hitched. He was handsome. He was very handsome actually with dark mysterious eyes and amazing spiky hair. His hair is pink, but he somehow makes it look good. He's wearing a black cloak, so I can't see the rest of him or his clothes. Lastly, I notice the bored look on his face. Even though he looks bored, I can see the anger in his eyes. It took me a minute to drag my eyes away from him and see the blue cat that's behind him. I blink in confusion when I realize the cat is walking on two legs. I was about to comment about it, but then I noticed that it looked sad.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Salamander said, bringing me out of my trance.

I glared at Salamander again. _He has a lot of guts to say that when the evidence is right on his finger._ Suddenly all the girls turned on the pink haired man. They started yelling at him, but he didn't seem affected. I decided that I should do something before they start trying to hurt the guy. I said, "Then take off your rings." Everyone turned to stare at me. I suddenly feel very uncomfortable and embarrassed under their stares. I suddenly feel hot and look at the ground to avoid eye contact. _I shouldn't have said anything. I should have stayed quiet._ "The rings you're wearing are love and sleep charms, so if you take off the rings, the charms should stop working. This will also prove your innocence if you aren't using a charm."

Salamander looked perplexed, the girls looked expectant, the pink haired man looked surprised for a second before covering it up, and the cat looked really surprised. "What guild are you in?" the cat asked.

I stared at it with wide eyes. _The cat just talked_ I though. I took a steadying breath so I didn't freak out and mumbled, "I'm not in one yet." The pink haired man and the cat then studied me. The cat looked curious and a bit surprised while pinkie still looked bored. I felt hotter and fidgeted in my spot. Everything was quiet around us. Then I heard someone running away from us. I turned to see Salamander running away. I was about to run after him, but stopped when I saw that pinkie was already on him.

Salamander tried to shoot him with balls of fire, but pinkie dodged all of them. Unfortunately, that meant they came toward the crowd of women. "Get down," I yelled. All of them dropped to the ground as balls of fire flew over our heads. The cat didn't react fast enough and was about to get hit. I yanked him down in the nick of time and wrapped myself around him. He struggled a bit. "You'll get hurt if you go out there right now. Let me protect you," I said. He hesitated, but nodded and snuggled into my chest. Once the balls of fire stopped, I told everyone to run. All the women ran without hesitation. I got up, still holding the cat, and was about to help pinkie take down Salamander when I saw the most amazing thing happen. Pinkie lit his fist on fire, but it wasn't normal fire. It was a fire I'd never seen before. The fire was a mesmerizing mix of black and dark blue. "He's a mage," I whispered.

I felt the cat nod, but I never took my eyes away from pinkie. He moved so fast that my eyes barely kept up. One second he was a few feet awayfrom Salamander and the next he was a few inches away from him. He hit Salamander once, and that was the end of the fight. I stared in awe as he picks up Salamander and slung him over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. _He's so strong._

"Happy," pinkie said.

I was really confused. _Did he just announce that he's happy?_ He turned to stare at me. I started to feel uncomfortable. He still continued to stare at me, and I stared back. Finally, I'd had enough. "What?" I snapped.

"It seems Happy fell asleep," pinkie said.

"What?" I asked in total confusion.

He sighed in irritation. "The cat's name is Happy," he explained. My eyes widened in realization. I looked down and saw Happy sound asleep. I smiled a little at how cute he was. "Wake him up. I don't have time to waste for him to sleep."

I glared at pinkie. "That's mean. You should consider how your companions are feeling and their physical conditions. Isn't Happy your companion?"

He glared right back. "It's his fault for coming with me. I work alone. I don't need anyone's help. I don't want anyone's company. He knew I didn't want him to come, but he did anyways."

"That gives you no right to treat him like you are," I argue.

He drops Salamander and storms over to me. I stand my ground. He stops a few inches away from me, and I'd be lying if I said I wasn't intimidated. I didn't want him to treat Happy like he has though, so I force myself to not move back. "Wake him up," pinkie says slowly as though I'm a disobedient child.

"No," I said. His eyes widen for a split second before reverting back to a glare. I sighed. "How about I carry him to wherever you need to go?" Pinkie just raises a brow, so I elaborate. "I have nowhere else to be, and I want Happy to sleep as much as he needs to. You have somewhere to be and don't want to wait for Happy to wake up, so I'll hold him and follow you. It gives both of us what we want."

His brows crease in thought as he continues to stare at me. I stare right back at him the entire time. With an irritated sigh, he nods his head and turns around. Not waiting for me, he starts walking. I hurry to catch up to him. He picks up Salamander again and we head off to the authorities. I found out Pinkie and Happy were on a mission from a guild. _Well, that's good for me_ , I thought. _Even if it's not Fairy Tail, I can still be in a guild of mages. That's if they take me though._

We walked out of town in silence. "Why aren't we taking the train?" I asked. I got no response. "Did you hear me?" I asked. Pinkie nodded. _He must not want to answer._ We had been walking for about an hour when I felt Happy start to stir. I look down to see him trying to rub the sleep out of him eyes. "Finally awake?" I asked with a smile.

He looked up at me in shock. He stared at me for a few seconds before recognition crossed his features. "You're the lady that protected me from the fire," he stated.

I smiled down at him. "Yep," I said. "My name's Lucy by the way."

Happy smiled at me. "I'm Happy and that," he gestured to pinkie, "is Natsu." I smiled down at him again. Happy and I talked while I carried him for a few more hours. I learned that Natsu found him and took him in even though it was mostly his guild that raised him. Natsu didn't want to be part of the guild, but was forced to. I found that a bit odd, but didn't comment about it. Happy then explained that Natsu didn't talk much to people and didn't really like being anywhere near people.

After a few hours of talking about Natsu and himself, Happy tried to ask questions about my past, but I didn't really want to talk about it. Luckily, I can distract him rather easily. Several hours later, I finally asked the question that's been on my mind for a while. "Where are we going?"

"Home," Happy said.

I felt a pang of jealousy flash through me, but I squashed it as soon as it came. _Of course they have a home. They're already in a guild_. "Where is your home?"

"Magnolia," Natsu said.

I nodded. "What's your guild by the way?" _Might as well know the name of the guild I'm going to try to join._

Happy grinned at me. "The best guild ever!" he said. "We are mages of Fairy Tail!"

I stopped and my eyes widened. "Fairy Tail," I breathed. Natsu stopped and turned to look at us. Happy 's smile turned into a frown, and he began to look concerned. I suddenly squealed and a smile almost split my face. "We're really going to Fairy Tail?" I asked excitedly.

Happy nodded slowly. He was looking at me like I had grown two heads.

Ignoring Happy's look, I ran to Natsu and grabbed his cloak. Tugging on it gently and trying to get him to walk faster. "Let's go! I can't wait to see Fairy Tail! I've been trying to find it for a year now! I was about to give up, but then you two showed up. I was just going to try to join the guild you two are in, but it's Fairy Tail! How do you get in? Is there a test? Do you have to sign an application? What does it look like? Is it fun there?" I continued to fire off question after question not really caring if they answer them or not.

"You want to join Fairy Tail?" Natsu asked.

I turned around and started walking backwards while still holding his cloak. "Yep," I said with a big smile. "It's been my dream to join Fairy Tail since I was a little girl."

Natsu and Happy looked quite shocked, but I ignored them and turned back around. _I can't believe I'm going to Fairy Tail!_


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey guys! Thank you so much for giving this story a chance. I'm glad people like it so far, and I hope to keep your interest.**

I stared in awe at Fairy Tail. It was an older building made of wood. The sign had a fairy on both sides of it. My heart is pounding in excitement, but I'm also frozen in fear. _What if they don't want me there? Are they all like Natsu? What if I'm not powerful enough to get in?_ I bit my lip and held Happy tighter. I look down at him and realize that I've held him for a majority of the time I've known him. _I hope carrying him won't become a habit._

Happy looked up at me and smiled. "Let's go in, Lucy." He wiggled out of my arms and flew into the guild.

I shook my head and was about to follow him in when I realized Natsu hasn't gone in. I turn to see him walking away. "Where are you going?" He ignored me. "Natsu," I called, "it's rude to ignore people." I was ignored again. I suddenly became angry. _If he wants to ignore me, then I'll annoy him until he acknowledges me._ "Natsu," I called. He ignored me again and kept walking. _Maybe insulting him will work._ "I'm talking to you, idiot." I kept trying to get his attention until I couldn't see him anymore. "Jerk," I mumbled as I walked through the doors of Fairy Tail. I stopped as soon as I saw the inside of the guild.

Almost all of Fairy Tail was having a giant brawl. There were a few that stood out from the rest of the brawl though. A man with spiky white hair and a scar coming down from his right eye was yelling about how manly fighting is. A guy was getting up from a bench to join the fight as a few women who were still sitting down at the table he got up from gushed about him. My eyes widened in shock when I realized the man was Loke. With a sigh, I crossed him off the list of boys you most want to be your boyfriend. _I don't even want to try being with a player. As the name states, the girl will just get played._ A man with raven black hair, a silver necklace, and only had boxers on was fighting too. He had a dark blue guild mark on the right side of his chest. I found it strange that no one seemed to notice his lack of clothes though. _Is it normal for him to strip?_

"Gray," a women called, "your clothes."

The raven haired looked down as if he was shocked. He then turned to face the woman and yelled, "I don't have time for that!" Turning around again, he jumped back into the brawl. _So the stripper is Gray. I wonder how often he does that since everyone is so calm about it._

The woman huffed. I turned my attention to her. She has long, wavy, dark brown hair. Her eyes were a dark blue, almost purplish color. She wore brown pants that reached the middle of her calf with a pink belt. Her top consisted of a blue bikini. _A bikini? Shouldn't she wear at least a little bit more?_ She also wore a few bracelets on both wrists and had a black Fairy Tail guild mark to the left of her belly button. _She's so pretty._ She then proceeded to lift an entire barrel of beer and drink it. _How can she even lift that?_

I'm brought out of my thoughts by a sweet voice. "Hello, are you new here?" I turn around and come face to face with a woman with flowing white hair and kind blue eyes. She had on a pinkish purple dress with light pink bows in some places. She gave me a sweet smile as she patiently waited for my answer.

My eyes widen with realization again. _This is Mirajane Strauss!_ "You're Mirajane," I said in a small voice.

She nodded and asked, "And who might you be?"

"I'm Lucy," I said with a smile. I hear a crash and remembered about the giant brawl. I pointed at the rest of the guild. "Shouldn't we stop them?"

Her smile grew. "Don't worry. It's happens all the time. Besides, it makes things fun," she said. Then the white haired man crashed into her, and they both fainted.

I was horrified. "Mirajane," I called frantically while running to her. _This guy is huge! I hope she wasn't too seriously hurt._ I try to pull the man off Mirajane, but I had no luck. He was just too heavy. I decided to sit by them instead. I spot Happy flying around and throwing food at people. _What a mischievous cat._ I watch in amusement as people try to catch him. He would just fly higher and stay out of their reach. The big man woke up and went straight back to fighting. I sighed as I moved closer to Mirajane. I didn't want her getting even more hurt. After a few minutes, she finally woke up and we began to talk. I found out that she worked the bar and that the big guy was her younger brother. _What would it have been like if I had siblings?_ I shook the thought out of my head. _I don't have siblings, so I shouldn't think of the what ifs._

"That's enough, brats," boomed a man. I started to shake. _He's a giant._ He was too tall for the building, so he had to hunch over. Everyone in the guild froze. I shook even more. He started to shake as well and, to my surprise, shrank. Wide eyed and in shock, I watched as the giant shrunk into a tiny old man with a silly hat. He then jumped onto the railing of the second story. Instead of punishing everyone like I thought, he lectured them. Everyone looked guilty though, and I was surprised that a majority of what I'd read about in _Sorcerer Weekly_ was this guild. _I never realized how destructive Fairy Tail is._

The old man was done after his lecture, and everyone just sat down like nothing happened. I was about to turn back to Mirajane when Happy spotted me. "Lucy," he called as he smiled and flew to me.

I smiled back and held my arms out to him. He glided down to me and snuggled into my chest. _You're so lucky you're a cat, or I'd have your head for snuggling there._ I smiled down at him. "I saw you were fighting people too," I said.

His smile grew even bigger but was broken by a yawn. He rubbed his eyes tiredly. _So cute,_ I thought. "Can I take a nap, Lucy?"

"Of course," I said. He snuggled into me again and was asleep in a matter of seconds. I looked back at the Mirajane. "I was wondering if I could join Fairy Tail." She smiled again and told me to follow her. Excitement welled up in me again. _I'm joining Fairy Tail!_


	3. Chapter 3

**Thank you for the follows, favorites, and reviews! I won't have a schedule for updates. I may update a few times a day and I may update every few weeks or even a month. It depends on my schedule and if I have writers block or not. I wanted to tell you in advance. Also, Halloween! Yay! Yummy candy!**

It's been three days since I joined Fairy Tail. Happy seeks me out every day and tries to get me to hold him as much as possible. I always give into him since I can't say no to his cute little face. The guild is surprised that he's so attached to me. I still haven't told anyone that I've met Natsu yet. It seems like everyone gets scared every time someone mentioned his name. Ironically, Natsu hasn't shown his face since the day I got here. I met a few people in the guild, and to my relief none of them were like Natsu. Everyone seems to be really weird and loud.

I also found an apartment to rent for only seventy thousand jewels a month. It's in a pretty convenient location for me too. It's not too far from Fairy Tail and really close to the market. Happy found out about my apartment and showed up out of the blue yesterday. He even suckered me into letting him stay the night.

At the moment I'm drinking a chocolate milkshake at the guild's bar. Mira was telling me about how the job requests work. Apparently, we can take any of them besides the ones upstairs, but we have to run it by Mira or Master first. _I should go on a job soon._ Happy suddenly plops down on the counter beside my milkshake. I smile at him and pat his head. "Hey, Happy," I said.

He smiles back at me. "Hi, Lucy," He said back. "What are you doing?"

"I'm about to pick a mission," I said.

Happy looked excited. "Can I go with you?" he asked.

I thought about it for a second. "Wouldn't you have to ask Natsu if you can go?" _I'm guessing they go on jobs together, so I don't want Natsu getting mad because I borrowed his partner without him knowing._ Looking around, I realized the entire guild went quiet. I suddenly became nervous. _Did I say something wrong?_

"Why would he have to ask?" I heard Natsu ask. Everyone gasped and whirled around to see Natsu sitting at a table on the second floor. He glared down at us.

I smiled up at him. "Hey, Natsu," I said. He just stared at me. I sighed and shook my head. _I guess a greeting is too much to ask for._ "He should ask you because you two go on jobs together. I don't want to let Happy go on a job with me if you wanted to go on one."

His eyes widen. He then gives me a halfhearted glare. I smile up at him. His eyes soften a bit. "He can go, but I'm coming too. I don't want to hear you complain about failing the mission." He stood up and walked down the stairs.

 _He expects me to fail the mission?_ I glare at him and pouted. "Such faith you have, Na-kun."

He suddenly glares at me. "Don't call me that," he commands.

I raise my eyes brow and smirk a little. "You mean don't call you _Na-kun._ " His glare intensified. I just laughed. "Sorry, Na-kun, but that's your new nickname."

He sighed and crossed his arms. "Just go find a job, annoying woman."

I rolled my eyes and hopped up. I held my arms out for Happy, who launched himself at me. I skipped my way to the request board with Happy in my arms and looked at all the requests. One in particular caught my interest. _Steal a book from a guy named Everloo? And he's looking for a blond maid? That seems perfect. I can just sneak in by being a maid. Then I can let Natsu and Happy in through one of the windows._ I nodded my head and grabbed it. Turning, I walked to the bar and showed Mira the request. "We're going on this mission."

She nodded at me with wide eyes. I turned around and saw everyone else in the guild had the same reaction. I walked out of the guild with Natsu close behind. He followed us to my apartment and made himself comfortable with Happy on my bed. Happy curled up on the top of my pillow while Natsu lay down and rested his head on the space that's left on the pillow. I suddenly started giggling. Both Natsu and Happy suddenly looked at me like I'd grown two heads. "I'm sorry," I giggled. "I just remembered their faces when you decided to go on a mission with me."

Their eyes widened in shock again. Happy suddenly busted out laughing. Natsu looked between the two of us and sighed, shaking his head. He lay back down, but continued to watch me. I continued to giggle as I packed and let Natsu read the request paper. I was finally fully packed, and we were heading out the door when Natsu finally spoke. "Why did you pick this mission?"

I looked over at him and smiled a little. "I'm not very strong and this is my first mission. I didn't want something too hard and I'm blond. I can just get him to hire me and then let you two in by a window. It will be simple and easy," I explained.

He nodded and continued walking. I turned toward the train station, but Natsu grabbed my shoulder. I stopped and looked over my shoulder at him. He glared at me and started walking toward the forest. I furrowed my eye brows in confusion and frowned as I watched him. "Natsu doesn't like riding the train. He hasn't ridden one in years," Happy explained.

"Oh ok," I said. _So I have to walk all the way to way to another town?_ Sighing, I started following Natsu.

It's been hours and we're still walking. Well, Natsu and I are walking. Happy is flying beside me. _I wish I had wings like Happy. Then I might not be so tired._ I was sweating and sore, but I refused to complain. I might lose what little respect Natsu has for me. I'm lagging behind though, and I can tell that Natsu is getting annoyed.

Just as I expected, Natsu lets out a frustrated sigh and turns around to glare to me. I give him an apologetic smile and try to speed up. He watches me for a minute before letting out another sigh. What confused me was that it wasn't an angry sigh. The next thing I know, Natsu is crouched down in front of me with his back to me. "Get on. You're slowing us down."

I carefully climbed on his back, wrapped my arms around his neck, and held onto the front of his cloak. "Do you ever take your cloak off?" I asked.

He picks me up and starts standing up. I cling to him as he stands up and starts walking. I wait patiently for his reply, and am rewarded with an answer. "When I take a bath or shower."

I smiled. "It must be really important to you, Na-kun." He growls a little and I giggle. After a few minutes I start to become sleepy. "Na-kun," I called. He gives my leg a little squeeze to show he was listening. "Thank you for carrying me," I said sleepily. He didn't say anything and I fell asleep snuggling into his shoulder.


	4. Chapter 4

**This is obviously going to be a bit different than the anime/manga. I don't have perfect memory about what the characters did and said, and I'm too lazy to look it up. Please don't be mad that it's a bit different. Thank you.**

Wake up," a male voice says.

I groan. "Not yet," I mumble. Tightening my arms around the comfy thing I'm on, I snuggle into the calming warmth. "So warm," I mumble and smile a bit.

I heard Happy snickering. "Get off me, annoying woman," the same voice from before growls.

My eyes snap open and head snaps up when I realize the voice was Natsu's. Eyes widening, my cheeks flush. I'm snuggling into Natsu's shoulder and have my arms wrapped around his neck. Luckily for him, he sat down on a couch, so I'm not choking him. Quickly unwrap myself from around him, I maneuver myself to sit beside him. He leans back to rest against the back of the couch. _I can't believe I tried to cuddle with Natsu._ My cheeks flush even more at that thought. Looking around, I realize we're in the client's house.

The client in question is sitting on a chair across from us. He is an older man. He's wearing a striped suit and had an amused look on his face. When he caught me looking, his face pale and look at the ground. _It he afraid of me?_ I look over at Natsu and see that he's glaring at everyone. I roll my eyes. _He might think I'm like Natsu._

"Hello, Sir," I say. He looks up at me in shock. I smile at him. "I'm guessing Na-kun didn't introduce us, did he?"

The client seems to relax and gave me a small smile in return. "No, he didn't."

I shook my head. "Sorry about that. Na-kun isn't very talkative. I'm Lucy." I point at Natsu, "This is Natsu," I point at Happy, "and this is Happy." I smile a little bigger when Happy plops down on my lap. I look at the client again and say, "So what exactly do you want us to do?"

The client suddenly became serious. "I want you to sneak into Everloo's house and take a book called _Day Break_."

I nod. "Do you want us to bring it back to you?"

He shook his head. "No," he says, "I want you to burn it."

My eyes widen. "Why?" I ask.

He glares at the ground, but he also seems to be upset and full of regret. "That book must be destroyed at all costs."

I'm still confused but don't push the subject. After we left the client's house, I bought a maid outfit and put it on. Walking out of the store, I found Natsu leaning against the wall, arms crossed, agitated expression on his face. Happy is sitting on the ground with a bored expression. I walk in front of them, give a little twirl, and smile. "How do I look?" I ask.

Natsu slowly looks me up and down. My face heats up. Suddenly feel self-conscious, I fidget a little. He then shrugs and looks away from me. I huff and turn my gaze to Happy. He tilts his head to the side and is looking at me like I've grown a second head. "It's weird seeing my mom in a maid outfit."

Natsu's head snaps down to Happy. He's looking down at him with wide eyes. My eyes widen a bit before a warm feeling suddenly floods through me. I drop down on my knees and scoop Happy up in a tight embrace. I couldn't get rid of the big, goofy grin on my face. "You think of me as your mom?" I ask happily. Happy nods and my goofy grin turns into a loving smile. I giggle a bit. "I have a family now."

Happy looks up at me with wide eyes. "You didn't have a family?"

My smile slips off my face and I look away. "I do, but it feels like I don't." Happy watch me with a confused face. I stand up with Happy in my arms and turn to look at Natsu. I am a little shocked to find him watching me with curiosity. I smile at him and it's his turn to be shocked. "Let's get this job done." I turn on my heels and start walking to Everloo's mansion.

We stop in the bushes across from Everloo's front door. I hand Happy to Natsu. Surprisingly, neither of them complains. Natsu looks a little angry but says nothing about it.

"Ok," I say, "wait until I wave for you to come in."

"Be careful, Lucy," Happy says.

I smile lovingly at him and pat his head. "I will, sweetie." I turn around, took a deep breath, and walk to the front of the house. I knock on the door and call out, "Hello, I heard you were looking for a blond maid."

There is no answer for a while, and I'm about to give up. Right before I turn around to go back to Natsu and Happy, the ground shook. I watch with wide eyes as a short, fat man jumps out of the ground followed by four ugly women. The man looks me up and down slowly. I force myself not to shudder in disgust. I felt flustered when Natsu was examining me, but Everloo's gaze just makes me feel disgusted. I force myself to smile at him anyways. "I heard you were looking for a pretty new maid," I say flirtatiously.

He studies me for a few more minutes, and I kept my smile the entire time. He then crosses his arms. "I don't want to hire you, ugly."

I felt like someone punched me in the gut. _Am I actually ugly?_ He then turns his back on me and jumps back into the whole he came from. I trudge back to Natsu and Happy and plop down on the ground. I pout. _This is the second time my sex appeal has failed me. First at the shop at Hargeon and now this._ Then I became angry. "He will regret calling me ugly," I say. "I'll clean his toilet with his toothbrush." I giggle darkly.

Happy shivers in disgust, but don't say anything about it. Natsu rolls his eyes and glares down at me. "Stop wasting my time with you annoying grumbling. We have a mission to complete." I glare right back at him, but know he is right. Sticking my tongue out at him, I stood up and hide behind a tree to change into my normal clothes.


	5. Chapter 5

**I got my mom to start watching Fairy Tail, and I watched it with her. I never realized how sarcastic Natsu was in the beginning of the series. There are some things in multiple people's pasts that I'm going to change. I also found out I spelled Everlue wrong in the last chapter, so I'm fixing that in this one. I know my sentence structures don't vary much, so I'd like some suggestions about different ways to write some of my sentences. You don't have to, but it would be greatly appreciated.**

"Thank you, Happy," I say as I land on the roof of Everlue's mansion. Opening my arms, Happy flies into my chest, and I hold him. Natsu ignores us and walks up to the French doors. "How exactly do we get in from here? The door is locked and I don't want there to be a lot of noise."

Natsu ignores me again. Pouting, I decide to glare at him even though I know it won't do anything. He kneels down and puts his hand on the glass part of one of the doors. I watch in awe as he easily melts the glass, reaches through the hole he made, and opens the door from the inside. _That's so cool._ Natsu then stood up and walks in without a word.

Rolling my eyes, I walk into the house after him. I look around and see random things everywhere. "I think we're in a storage room," I say. Natsu ignores me again. I sigh. "I thought we already established that it's not nice to ignore people, Na-kun."

He turns around and glares at me. For some reason, I'm not afraid of him this time. Instead, I smile sweetly at him. His glare intensifies. "I don't care," he hisses, "and I already told you to stop calling me that."

I pout again and give him a halfhearted glare. His glare lessens a little, but doesn't go away. "Well, too bad, Na-kun, because that's what I'm calling you."

His glare intensifies again, and we had a glare off. We stay like that for a few minutes. Neither of us is willing to back down. Finally, he gives up and sighs. Turning around, he starts walking without a word. Smile triumphantly, I start walking after him. Peaking out of a door, we discover that the hallway is empty. Quietly, we sneak around the house. I walk around and search every room that we pass. Finally, we find a room with double doors. _Does Everlue have a library?_ Before I can open the double doors, the floor in front of us brakes, and the ugly maids from before jump out of the hole.

"Intruders," they yell. All of them except one was wielding a cleaning tool as a weapon. _There goes my plan to sneak in and out. Wait, how did they even know we were here?_ I grab Taurus' key and am about to call him out when a swirl of black and blue flames shoots past me and hits the maids. They are knocked out instantly.

I look behind me and see Natsu with an irritated look on his face. "Why are you so irritated?" I ask as we start walking again. Finally open the double doors, I gasp in awe. The library is huge. _I want a library like this. It's a beautiful library too. Who would have thought a man with no taste would have such an amazing library?_

"I hate when a good plan doesn't work out," Natsu finally says. I stare him with wide eyes. He answered me, and I don't even have to keep bugging him about it.

I gap at him again as another thought goes through my head. _Did he just say I had a good plan?_ A goofy grin spreads across my face as I skip into the library. We decide to split up the work. Natsu will look on the bottom shelves. The middle shelves are my responsibility with the help of a latter. Happy will fly and look on the top shelves. After twenty minutes, I sigh in frustration. "I can understand wanting an amazing library, but why would such a short man have such a big shelf?"

Happy tries to muffle his laugh and I smiled up at him. Then I hear something I haven't heard before. I hear a deep chuckle. _Is someone else in the room?_ Turning toward the sound, I find Natsu looking at a book he's pulled out. He has a small smile on his face and his shoulders shake a little. His eyes have softened and filled with amusement.

Heat rushes up my neck and into my cheeks. I stare down at him in awe. _He's a handsome man, but when he smiles, he's so much more attractive. And I love his laugh._ Natsu probably feels my gaze and turns to look at me. Smiling down at him, I say, "You should laugh more. A smile looks good on you,"

His eyes widen and fill with shock. Within seconds, his eyes harden, and he looks back at the shelves. I would be afraid that I upset him, but from my vantage point, it looks like there's a pink tint to his cheeks. I'm pretty sure that's my imagination though. "Get back to work, annoying woman."

I giggle and turn back to the books. After a few more minutes, Natsu finally announces he found the book. Happy and I come down. Natsu shows us the book, and my eyes widen. Snatching the book, I hold it in front of me. "Kenmu Zaleon wrote this?" I squeal. "I thought I read every sentence he ever wrote, but I missed a whole book. Why haven't I heard of this one? It is an unpublished book?"

"Who cares?" Natsu says. "We're going to burn it."

I look at him with wide eyed horror and hold the book close to my chest. "Why don't we keep it? We can just say be burned it. I'll keep it a secret," I say.

Natsu glares at me. "No," he says bluntly.

"Why?" I whine.

His glare intensifies. "I knew you wouldn't be able to complete even simple job like this," he hisses.

My eyes widen with hurt. _He really did think I couldn't do this mission._ I look down at the book. "Then," I whisper then clear my throat, "then let me read it right now and we can burn it after," I say confidently. Looking him in the eye, I smile to hide my pain.

Natsu seems taken aback, but his features quickly return to a glare. "No," he growls. "Stop being a bother and give me the book you useless woman."

I flinch, close my eyes, and take a step back.

" _What are you still doing here you useless child!" Opening my eyes, I see a man in his mid thirties glaring at me. He raises his hand. I close my eyes and feel a sharp pain on my cheek. Crying out in pain, I fall to the floor from the force of the blow. "I already told you to get out of my office! All you are is a bother!" the man yells._

" _I'm sorry," I sob. "I just wanted to tell you that it was-"_

" _I don't care!" The man kicks my stomach. I cry out in pain again. "Get out of my office! I don't want to see your useless face again!"_

"Hey," a male voice says.

I flinch back again and drop the book. Holding up my arms to protect myself, I take another step back. "I-I'm sorry," I stammer out.

"Lucy," a hesitant voice says. I open my eyes and see Happy in front of me. He looks really worried. "Why," he seems to hesitate again, "why are you crying?"

Brushing my fingertips on one of my cheeks, I feel something wet. _I really am crying._ I shakily exhale and wipe away the tears. With a laugh that sounds fake even to my own ears, I smile at him. "Don't worry, Happy. It's nothing," I lie.

Happy doesn't look convinced, and I look behind him to see Natsu looking at me with wide eyes full of shock and a little bit of horror. I pick up the book and walk over to Natsu as if nothing happened. Before I could hand it to him, the floor broke, and Everlue jumps out of the hole.

"I've been wandering what all those mages were looking for. It turns out to be that stupid book," Everlue say.

I gasp and hold the book protectively. "How can you say that about one of Kenmu Zaleon's books? He's an amazing writer!"

"That's why I commissioned him to write it, but that book is trash," he says.

I furrow my brows. "That can't be right," I mumble. _Why would_ Kenmu Zaleon _of all people write a horrible book? Even his worst book was amazing. Could he have done it on purpose?_ My eyes widen. "I'm reading it," I say and sit down.

"What?" Everlue and Happy yell out. Natsu just gives me a halfhearted glare. "Why would you want to read trash like that?" Everlue asks while I read. My eyes narrow as I read. "It doesn't matter. Come out boys!"

The wall to our left moves and part of it opens like a door. Standing on the other side of the door are two men with a giant frying pan. _Why a frying pan?_ "You called, Master?" the tall one asks.

"Take care of these fairies and get my book back," Everlue says.

I jump up. "Na-kun," I say. He doesn't look at me, but I know he's listening since he hates my nickname for him. "This book holds a secret, and I'm going to find out what it is." He nods, and I run out of the room.


	6. Chapter 6

**Hey guys! I found out that some people don't like that Lucy's nickname for Natsu is Na-kun. I'd like to know if the majority like it or not. People with accounts, I have made a pole. People without accounts but are avid readers on this site like I was, please put your vote in the reviews. Please only vote if you are going to continue to read this. The pole will be open until after I post chapter 7 so people have some time. Thank you to the people who have told me their opinion. Special thanks to Pinky for giving me an idea of how to do this chapter!Also, I'm horrible at fight scenes.**

I close the book and take off my glasses. Luckily, I always bring my speed reader glasses, so I read the entire book within minutes. "I knew there was a secret," I mumbled as I stood.

"Secrets don't make friends you know," I heard Everlue say.

My eyes widened as hands shot out of the wall behind me grabbed my wrists. The hands twisted my arms painfully. I yelled out in pain and looked over my shoulder to see Everlue halfway in the wall. I glared at him. "I'll never tell a jerk like you," I said.

He twisted my arms a little more and I yelled in pain again. "Tell me what secret that book holds. Is it a treasure map of some sort?"

I glared at him again. "I'm not telling," I said again.

He twisted my arms even more. "Tell me or I'll break your arms like a twig." I kept quiet and he continued to twist my arms. Then he suddenly let go. I fell forward and landed on my hands and knees. I scrambled away before Everlue could grab me again and looked back to see why he let go. "Happy," I said in surprise. He flew away from Everlue, but his wings disappeared and he landed in the sewer water. His head popped out of the water, but he made no move to get out. "Happy, get out of there," I called.

"It feels so good though," Happy said.

I sighed and shook my head. "That's sewer water, Happy." I saw Everlue lung for me out of the corner of my eye and jumped out of the way.

"Tell me the secret, little girl," Everlue said again. "It's in my book, so it's my secret."

I glared at him as he lunged at me again. "I won't tell a sick man like you," I said. My glare intensified. "It's not even your book."

"Of course it's my book. I commissioned it to be written," Everlue said. He jumped back into the ground.

"You mean you forced his to write it," I said.

Everlue laughed. "I don't know what you're talking about." Everlue's voice echoed around the tunnel. He popped out of the ground and began swimming in the concrete. "He refused to write a book about my amazing self, so I just gave him a little," he paused, "incentive."

"You threatened to take away his families citizenship," I yelled.

Happy gasped. _When did he get out of the sewer water?_ "But that would mean they can't join any of the guilds. They wouldn't be able to work."

Everlue lunged for me again, and I dodged. Everlue laughed again. "He boasted about being a writer that didn't give into threats or money, but he quickly gave up after that. I even gave him a little punishment for making me wait for him to agree for so long."

"A little punishment?" I yelled. "You kept him in solitary confinement for three years!"

"Three years?" Happy gasped again.

"How do you even know all this?" Everlue asked.

I held up the book for him to see. "It's all here in black and white," I said.

Everlue's eyes widened. "Impossible," he yelled. "I read that book from cover to cover, and it has nothing of the sort in there."

"Well yeah, if you read it normally," I said, "but there's something I know that you don't." Everlue and Happy both watched me with wide eyes. "Kenmu Zaleon was a mage before he was a writer."

"Really," Happy asked.

"What did he do to my book?" Everlue yelled out. He tried to grab me again, but I dodged.

"He knew he had to satisfy your ego, so wrote a horrible story about a greedy protagonist," Lucy explained.

"That's it!" Everlue yelled. "Open gate of the maiden, Virgo!" **(I forgot the exact word since they stop calling out the entire thing later in the manga and anime.)** The ground rumbled again and the giant gorilla like maid with pink hair jumped out of the ground.

"You called, Master?" she said in a deep voice.

"She's a celestial spirit?" I asked. _I thought Virgo would be cuter._ I glared at Everlue and grabbed one of my golden keys. "Open gate of the crab, Cancer!" I yelled out.

A man with scissors in his hands and crab legs on his back suddenly shows up in in a golden light. "What kind of haircut do you want today, baby?" he said.

"Baby?" I heard Happy and Natsu ask. I turned around to see Happy by the wall a few feet away. I caught Natsu watching with wide eyes right before be covered it up with a glare. _When did he get here?_ "Why does he call you 'baby'?" Natsu asked.

I shrugged. "He's always said that," I said. I blinked and Natsu was suddenly right in front of me. He reached past me with one arm. I turned around and realized he saved me from getting punched by Virgo. "Thank you," I said.

"I'll take care of the gorilla maid and you take care of the man. Don't make me have to save you again," Natsu said.

I glared at him over my shoulder and ran around Virgo. Natsu punched her and she was instantly out cold. Everlue lunged for me again, but I took out my whip and caught him with it. Then I threw him at Cancer, who defeated him with his scissors.

Natsu looked at Everlue and then at me. "At least I know you can do that much," Natsu said.

I glared at him. "You've never seen my magic before, and you already put me in the category of weak and useless?" I asked angrily.

He gave me a blank stare before saying, "You fell for a love charm."

My eyes widen. "I wasn't the only one," I said in exasperation.

"You also didn't want to complete the mission," he added. He crossed his arms.

"It's a good thing I didn't because we would have deprived the family of the one thing everyone deserves," I ground out.

"And what's that?" Natsu sighed.

"The last words of a loving father," I snapped.

His eyes widen before he glares darkly at me. "Who cares about last words?"

A feeling of overwhelming sadness washes over me. "Last words can sometimes be the only light in the dark," I said quietly. "And a loving father is something that some people can only dream of." His eyes widen again. He looks like he's about to say something, but I smile and interrupt him. "Let's go to the client's house," I said. I was lost in thought the entire way to the client's house.

 _"Lucy, always remember to smile no matter how hard life gets," a sweet voice said. I watched with tears in my eyes as she smiled lovingly at me. "Be strong, sweetie. I love you."_

I tear slipped down my check, and I quickly brushed it away. I didn't want Happy to worry, and I didn't want Natsu to have any other reason to call me weak.

"It was really cool how you threw Everlue, Lucy," Happy said. I looked at him with wide eyes. "You must be really strong to throw a fat man like him."

I stared at Happy a little longer. "Are you a mind reader?" I asked.

I smiled at him. "Thank you." Then I knocked on the door.

The door opened within seconds and the client's wife ushered us in.

 **I'm going to be totally honest and say this is probably my least favorite chapter so far. I don't realy have the motivation to edit this chapter because it's already so bad, and I don't know how to write it any better. I'm sorry you had to put up with my sorry excuse for a fight! Please forgive me for writing something so horrible! I'm so much better at wring about people that just sit still and have a conversation. I'm going to try to get better though. Also, sorry for the long authors note at the top and bottom of the story.**


	7. Chapter 7

**I love you guys! Thank you for reviewing! I reread the review and they made me so happy! I'm also happy that people aren't afraid to tell me if they don't like something. I like having a conversation with them to help them understand why I did something or if I should tweak a few things.**

Natsu stood by the door, leaning against the wall. I raised my brow at him. _Is he just going to stand there while explain why we brought the book back?_ He made eye contact with me. We had another staring contest, which he won this time. I sighed and turned around. _Leave me for the sharks, why don't you?_ I looked over my shoulder to see if he actually _was_ staying there. I sighed again once I saw he was still watching me as I walked to the client. Happy sat down beside him and looked everywhere but at me.

Rolling my eyes, I turned and gave a smile to the client. I held out the book to him. "I want to give this to you," I said.

Mr. Amelon suddenly became angry. "I told you to burn that book not bring it to me," he shouted.

I instantly stiffened and forced myself not to flinch.

 _"Get that thing out of my sight," father yelled. He glared at me intensely._

 _I trembled in fear but held my ground. "But I made it for you, Daddy. I thought you might be hungry," I said._

 _His glare intensified. Blood drained from my face. Nothing good ever happened when he glared the much. I turned to run, but I wasn't fast enough. He grabbed my arm, yanked me around to face him, and backhanded me. I cried out in pain, so he hit me again. "I don't care what you though, useless brat," He yelled at me. "I didn't tell you to make this! If I was hungry, I would call the chief! I don't want to see such a disgusting thing in my office again," He yelled. He finally let my arm go and turned around. He stared walking to his desk but stopped. "And take the rice ball with you."_

Everything becomes blurry, and I look at the ground. I shake my head to get rid of my memories and blink rapidly to get rid of the tears in my eyes. Once I've accomplished both, I look back up at Mr. Amelon with a smile. "If you want it burned, I would much rather you do it yourself," I said.

His eyes widened, but he made no movement to grab the book. We stood there for a few minutes. My arms are starting to hurt from holding the book out to him this entire time. I heard an irritated sigh from somewhere behind me. "Take the book already, old man," Natsu commanded.

The client flinched and quickly grabbed the book. I stepped back. His wife went and got a match for him. When she came back, she handed him the match, which he promptly lit. He took a shaky breath before moving the flares close to the book. "This book caused my family great shame. He stopped writing after this book. He called it a piece of trash. He was so ashamed of it, so I'm going to burn it so he wouldn't have to be ashamed anymore."

 _I can't let him burn it!_ "Wait," I yelled. He stopped and looked at me in shock. "You might want to look at it before you burn it."

He looked down at the book. It started to glow. He covered his eyes and held the book away from himself. "What's going on?" He asked.

Words started flying out of the book in a rainbow of colors and swirled around the room. I smiled at Mr. Amelon when he finally uncovered his eyes. "The author of the book is Kenmu Zaleon, but that wasn't his real name. His real name was Zeku Amelon." I smiled as I looked behind me to see Happy smiling as he watched the words fly around the room. Natsu even had a small smile on his face. I turned my attention back to Mr. Amelon. He was your father, right?" He nodded, so I continued. "He didn't stop writing because he wrote his worst book. He stopped writing because he finished his masterpiece."

The words around the room finally flew back into the book and the title lifted off the pages. The letters rearranged themselves to read 'Dear Kaby.' "He used the last of his magic energy to rearrange the words in the book to satisfy Everlue, the book was always meant for you," I explained.

Mr. Amelon fell to his knees and clutched the book to his chest. Tears streamed down his face. His wife rushed to him and knelt down beside him. "Thank you," Mr. Amelon cried. "Thank you so much. How can I ever repay you?"

I smiled sweetly at him. "You don't have to. I'm happy we could make you so happy."

With that, I turned and walked out the door. Natsu and Happy quickly caught up to me. Happy flew in front of me and held his arms out. Smiling, I held him in my arms. Natsu walked beside me. No words were exchanged as we made our way back to Magnolia. Once night hit, we made camp. Natsu caught a few lizards and cooked them. When they are done cooking, we all settle down to eat them. I sit across the fire from Natsu while Happy leans on my side. After a few minutes, all of us are done, but we don't move from our spots. Happy eventually falls asleep. I smile down at him.

"You look so cute," I said softly. I yawn and decide that it's time for me to sleep as well. I carefully picked up happy, so he didn't wake up. Then I lie down on my side to face the fire. Happy snuggled up to my chest. I smile again. I glanced across the fire at Natsu. He's staring at the fire, deep in thought. Closing my eyes, I slowly relax.

Right before I drift off to sleep, Natsu says, "Not bad, woman." I smile again. _It's not my name, but it's better than 'annoying woman.'_ Then I let sleep take over.

As soon as I woke up, Natsu made me start walking. I didn't even have time to fully wake up. I held Happy in my arms since he would just fall asleep again. It's better for him to fall asleep in my arms than mid flight. After a few hours, my feet started to hurt. "Can we take a break, please?" I asked.

Natsu stopped and glared over his shoulder. His eyes suddenly widened a bit. Then he scowled and looks at a bush a few feet away from up. "Get out of the bush," Natsu commanded.

"I'm not in a bush," I said.

He gave an irritated sigh. "I wasn't talking to you, woman."

I glared at him, but said nothing. I turned to the bush he had been looking. The leaves started rustling. I started to get a little scared, so I stepped closer to Natsu. Natsu just gave me a sideways glance. The rustling got a louder, and a man stepped out. I was surprised when I realized it was Gray. Then I yelped because he only had underwear on. I hid behind Natsu and yelled, "Get some clothes on!"

"Relax," Gray said, "I was trying to find a bathroom."

"What does that have anything to do with putting your clothes on _now_?" I asked. _I'm surprised Natsu hasn't complained about me hiding behind him._

"Well, I'd obviously have to take my clothes off to use the bathroom," Gray said.

"Why would you take your clothes off _before_ you found a bathroom?" Happy asked. _When did he wake up?_

"It doesn't matter now," Gray said. "Alright, Lucy, I put my clothes on."

I finally came out from behind Natsu. Happy flew out of my arms and landed on a rock not too far from Gray. "What are you doing out here, Gray?" Happy asked.

"There's a shortcut to Magnolia through these woods," Gray explained. "I was trying to hurry back since Erza's due back any day now."

I sat down on a rock near Happy, who shuddered at the mention of Erza. My eyes widened when I realized who they were talking about. "You mean Erza Scarlet? I heard she's really pretty, but I've never seen any pictures of her. What's she like?"

"She's scary," Gray said in a grave voice. "She can take down a mountain with a single kick."

I became a bit scared. _She sounds like she has monster strength._ "Let's be realistic, Gray," Happy said. "She can kick down two mountains with a single kick."

I trembled a bit. "She sounds terrifying," I said.

"She is," Gray said. Happy nodded his head in agreement.

I looked at Natsu. He's the only one who looks unfazed by the mention of Erza Scarlet and her strength. In fact, he looked bored and annoyed. "Is she that strong?" I asked him.

He glared at me. "You must be stupid to believe these too," he said.

Hurt, I look away from him. "We should get going," I said suddenly. My feet hurt, my legs were sore, and I felt like I just lost the hard won points I got with Natsu last night. I sigh in defeat. _He's always looking for the negative and is always so cold._ My eyes widen as I got an idea. I smiled mischievously. _He's 'cold,' huh?_


	8. Chapter 8

**Thank you to everyone for putting in their input through reviews. The poll apparently didn't work, so the reviews helped me decide. There were actually a lot of really great suggestions. I'm giving special thanks to Jonny Spectre for helping me. I hope this explains a few things. If you have any questions, please ask. I'll find a way to put the answers into the story sometime.**

"We're home!" Happy yelled as he burst through the guild doors.

I giggled as I walked in behind him. Everyone turned to watch as we walked in the door. I started feeling uncomfortable under all the stares of the guild. _Did I do something wrong?_ I gave a nervous smile and a small have of the hand. "Hi," I said.

The entire guild came rushing at me. My eyes widened, and I was about to run when I heard the guild shout, "You're alive."

"Why wouldn't I be?" I asked.

"You were on a job with Dragneel," Gray said.

"What does that have to do with anything?" I asked.

"Give the poor girl some room," Master suddenly shouted. Everyone backed away immediately. He smiled at me. "Glad to see you're not hurt."

I looked at him in confusion. "Why do you say that?"

Now it was everyone else that looked confused. "Dragneel didn't get mad at you?" Mira asked.

I laughed. "Oh, he got mad all right. At one point I thought he was going to hit me, but he didn't." Everyone gasped. "What's so surprising about that?" I asked. "And why do all of you keep calling him Dragneel?"

Master sighed. "Mira, will you explain this to Lucy. I have to get to that meeting." Master then hopped off the bar and walked out of the guild.

Mira led me to the bar. Gray and Happy followed us. Everyone else went back to what they were doing before we came. As soon as the four of us got comfortable, Mira began to talk. "What do you know about Dragneel?"

"I know that he didn't want to be in the guild. He's quiet, rude, and never takes off his cloak unless he's taking a bath," I answered. I smiled a little. "He's also really handsome when he smiles."

The both gasped. "You saw Dragneel smile?" Mira asked.

"Yes, but only twice," I answered.

"You saw Dragneel smile _twice_ ," Gray shouted. That got everyone's attention.

Before anyone could come over, Mira said, "Let me talk to Lucy. Then I'll tell everyone else." Everyone nodded and went back to what they were doing, but it was noticeably more quiet. Mira smiled at me. "Tell me about that after I tell you about him, ok?" I smiled back and nodded. She sighed and began Natsu's story. "Dragneel was raised by a dragon," Mira said. My eyes widened. She giggled. "I know. It's amazing, huh?" She then turned serious again. "Anyways, he wasn't raised by just any dragon. He was raised by Acnologia, dragon of chaos."

I gasped. "Is that why his flames are a mixture of black and dark blue?"

Mira nodded her head and continued her story. "One day, Dragneel woke up, and Acnologia was gone. He couldn't find Acnologia no matter where he looked. It just so happens that he crossed paths with Master on his search."

"Master said he was a very rude and bitter boy when he found him," Gray added.

Mira nodded in confirmation. "Master took him here so he can have a family, and thought that having a family would make him happier. Dragneel resisted though, so Master knocked him out and dragged him back to the guild." My eyes widened. _I didn't realize Master would kidnap kids._ "When Dragneel woke up, he was already officially a member of the guild."

"He wasn't happy," Gray said, "or friendly."

Mira nodded once again. "Gray loved to pick fights, so he tried to pick a fight with Dragneel." She paused, as if she was contemplating whether to actually tell me or not.

"He refused, but I kept bugging him," Gray explained. "He finally snapped, and so did a few of my bones."

I gasped again. _Natsu did that?_ Mira trembled a little. "Erza and I saw what he did. Actually the entire guild did, but Erza and I were the only ones that dared to try to punish him. He took us out at the same time with a single attack."

"We were just kids," Gray said, "but he showed no mercy or guilt. After that, the adults of the guild tried to do something about him, but he took them out too. The only people he hasn't ever defeated are Master and Gildarts."

Mira nodded again. "Ever since then, no one dared get close to him. No one besides Master, Gildarts, and Happy calls him by his first name either. No one really likes him in the guild."

"Don't forget that any time someone annoys him, be beats them to a pulp," Gray added.

I frowned. "He must be really lonely," I said.

Gray and Mira looked at me incredulously. "That's what you got out of this?" Gray asks.

I nodded. "It's wrong for him to beat people up for annoying him, but he must be really lonely. His father suddenly disappeared. He was taken by a stranger to a strange place full of strange people. He was angry and sad. Now, no one wants to get close to him."

Mira suddenly giggled. I raised a brow at her. "I wander if that's why he's soft on you," she said.

"What do you mean soft on me?" I asked.

"He hasn't hit you once since he's met you," she explained.

"Aye," Happy said, "and he even gave her a piggyback ride."

The entire guild went deathly silent. _I can't be the only person. Plus, he only did it because I was too slow._ Before I could say anything, the guild doors burst open. Everyone's eyes widened.

Mira smiled. "Welcome back Erza," she called.

"Hello, Mira. Is Master here?" Erza asked.

Mira shook her head. "No, he went to the guild masters meeting," Mira explained.

"That's no good," Erza said to herself. She then planted her hands on her hips. "Gray, Dragneel, I need to talk to you two."

Gray raised a brow at her, and Natsu jumped down from the second story. Everyone's eyes widened. _When did he get there? I thought he went home._ Natsu stood beside me, facing Erza, with crossed arms.

"What do you want?" he asked.

"That's rude, Aki," I said.

He turned to me with a very confused look. "Autumn?" he asked.

I smiled at him. "Yep," I said. "You're cold, so I decided to name you autumn, which is cold."

He gave me a halfhearted glare. "I guess it's better than Na-kun," he mumbled.

I giggled. Then I turned my attention back to Erza. She stared at us with utter confusion. I blushed and looked away. _What an embarrassing way to be noticed._

"Erza," Gray said, "what did you want to talk to us about?"

Erza suddenly became serious again. "You two are the strongest here. I need your help."

The guild erupted in gasps and murmurs. "This could be the strongest team in Fairy Tail," Mira mumbled. She smiled. "I'll have to tell Master."

"Meet me at the train station in an hour," Erza said. She then walked out of the guild.

Natsu scowled and jumped back onto the second floor. I stood up and tried to go up the stairs, but Mira stopped me. "Only S-class mages can go to the second floor."

I nodded and sat back down at the bar. "You should go, Lucy," Mira suddenly said.

"What?" I asked.

"You should go on the mission," she repeated. "I don't know why Erza even tried to get Dragneel to go, but you can go in his place."

"Oh no," I said. "She said she wants strong people. I'm nowhere near as strong as Aki or Gray."

"Aki is Dragneel, right?" Mira asked. I nodded.

"I wouldn't mind going on a job with you," Gray said. "You seem really nice."

Natsu suddenly jumped down from the second story. "I'll go. This woman can't protect herself," he said.

"I can too," I yelled.

He raised his brow at me. "The giant maid was about to smash you at Everlue's."

I glared at him. "That was because you were distracting me," I countered.

He glared right back. "I'm going with you on the mission," he stated and walked out of the guild.

I stared at his retreating figure. "Did he just say he was going _with me_?" I asked. When no one answered, I sighed. "I guess I was just told to go on the mission." I stood up and held my arms open for Happy. He smiled and flew into my arms. I turned and walked out of the guild.

I went to my apartment and grudgingly packed my suitcase. As soon as I was done, I turned to my clock and saw that I had twenty minute to get to the station. I sighed, knowing this will somehow end badly. Turning, I found Natsu laying on my bed again. I glared at him. "Aki," I hissed, "it's not nice to volunteer people to go on missions they don't want to go on."

He stared blankly at me for a second before standing up. "Blame Erza," he said as he walked past me. Happy flew after him with a snicker. "Let's go, woman. I can hold my own against Erza, but you can't."

I grabbed my suitcase, closed, and locked my door. My eyes widen as I realize something. I quickly catch up to Natsu. "Aki, how did you get in my apartment?" I asked. He didn't respond. I glared at him. "Back to not responding to me?" He didn't respond again. _I guess that's a yes._ "Happy," I called.

"Yes," he asks as he flew into my arms.

"How did you get into my apartment?" I asked.

"The window," he responded. I looked at him incredulously. _Why didn't they just use the door?_

The rest of the walk to the train station was silent. Once we got there, we made our way to where Gray was standing. He waved at Happy and I, but glared at Natsu.

I sighed. "Don't glare at him, Gray."

His glare intensified. "I don't want to be on a mission with Dragneel."

Natsu snorted. "I don't want to be here either." He crossed his arms and glared at Gray.

Gray flinched and looked away. "Why don't we go sit down?" I ask.

Gray nods. We walk over to a bench and sit down, even Natsu to my surprise. Gray sat to my left, and Natsu sat to my right. The wait for Erza was very awkward. Finally, she arrives. My eyes widen when I see how much she packed.

She notices me and smiles. "I saw you at the guild. Are you a new member?"

I smile at her. "Yes, I just joined Fairy Tail a few days ago. Mira wanted me to come with you since she thought Aki wouldn't come."

"Aki?" Erza asked.

I smiled even bigger. "It's my nickname for Natsu," I explained. "He's cold like autumn."

Erza smiled a little more at that. She turns and sees Natsu. "I see that Dragneel did come. I am thankful."

"Woman," Natsu called. I turned to Natsu. "Let's find out where we are going to we can start walking."

"There's no chance of that, Dragneel," Erza said. He glared at her, and she flinched. Steeling herself, she continued, "I don't know how much time we have, so we have to ride the trains."

Natsu growled. Erza and Gray flinched again. "Aki," I called. He turned his glare to me. I flinched.

" _Daddy," I called._

 _Daddy glared at me. I knew then that I was in trouble. "What did I tell you about interrupting my work?" he asked, dangerously calm._

 _I flinched. "I'm sorry, Daddy," I said. He slapped me. "I'm sorry," I cried out._

" _Don't ever interrupt my work again. My business actually matters," he yelled. I ran and hid in my room so he couldn't hurt me anymore._

"S-sorry," I said. His eyes widened. They watch me for a second. I fully return to the present now. I smiled at him. His eyes widen even more before turning into confusion. "We need to ride the train," I said. "Erza hasn't explained anything about the mission, and we would be wasting time by making her explain it here."

He watched me for a few more seconds. Then he sighed. "Fine," he said. I smile at him again. That was the end of all conversation as we got onto the train.


	9. Chapter 9

**Thank you for all the positive reviews!**

Happy, Gray, Erza, and I couldn't help but stare at Natsu. He was hunched over in his seat and looked pained and sickly. Every few minutes, Natsu would let out a pained grown.

"Who would've thought Dragneel had motion sickness?" Gray asked in astonishment. Erza shook her head with an awed look.

" _That's_ why we always walked," Happy said in surprise. _He didn't know about his motion sickness?_

Natsu tried to growl, but stopped when it looked like he was about to throw up. "Poor, Aki," I said. I looked over at Erza and Gray, who sat across from Natsu, Happy, and I. "Will it help if he lies down?" I asked.

Gray shrugged. "I don't know, but I'm sure he won't let anyone touch him right now."

Erza nodded again. "If someone does, I'm sure he will harm them once he's off the train."

I gave them a disapproving look, but said nothing. Turning my attention back to Natsu, I called, "Aki." He didn't respond to me. Sighing, I roll my eyes. "Happy," I said, "can you go sit with Erza and Gray?"

"Aye," Happy said. He quickly sat down between Erza and Gray.

Grabbing Natsu's arm, I pull on it a little. He resisted, but it was very weak. I made him lay down with his head on my lap. "Does that make you feel a little better?" I asked quietly. His only response was a little nod. I smiled at him. He sighs a little and gets into a more comfortable position. Looking up, I see Erza and Gray with eyes as wide as saucers. "What's wrong?" I asked.

They shook their heads. It was a bit of an awkward silence, but Erza quickly broke it. "So how long have you known Dragneel?" she asked.

I started stroking Natsu's hair while I thought. _I met Natsu and Happy at Hargeon and left for Fairy Tail that same day. We arrived at Fairy Tail the next day. I was at the guild for three days. Then we went on the Everlue mission. It took two days to get there since we walked and two days to get back to the guild. We left the same day we got back, so that should add up to eight days._ "Today should be the eighth day I've know Aki and Happy," I responded.

Their eyes widened. "But you came to the guild seven days ago," Gray protested.

I nodded. "Yep," I said. "Aki and Happy brought me to Fairy Tail," I explained.

"What?" they yelled.

Happy and I jumped a bit, which made Natsu give a little grown of protest. I settled down and said, "Sorry, Aki." Stroking his hair again, I smiled at Erza and Gray. "It's actually a funny story. I was in Hargeon and fell for a love charm. Luckily, Happy and Aki broke me out of it. Aki then beat up Bora, and Happy fell asleep. Aki was going to wake him up, but I protested. Then I followed Aki while carrying Happy, so he could get some sleep. Then Happy woke up and told me that they were in Fairy Tail. I admitted to having wanted to be in Fairy Tail for a while, so they let me come with them."

They nodded. "That makes much more sense," Gray said. I rolled by eyes. "So, Erza, what's this job about?"

Erza suddenly turned serious. "I'll start from the beginning," she said. "I was at a pub where mages go to trade information. While I was there I heard a group of men talking about unsealing something called Lullaby. One man, Kage I believe, told the other men to go back to Erigor. He said he would be able to unseal it by himself."

"It must mean Lullaby is pretty bad if they have to unseal it," Gray said.

Erza nodded. She suddenly became very angry. "If only I had remembered his name that day, I could have delt with this then," Erza yelled.

I stiffened from fright. _I haven't known her for very long, but it feels like she's not the type to lose her cool very often._ "What name?" I asked.

"Erigor," she ground out. "His guild used to be a legal one, but when the council outlawed assassination requests, they went against the counsel's orders. Now they're a dark guild. Erigor is their leader, and he only takes assassination missions, which gave him the nickname the Grim Reaper," Erza explained.

I started to sweat a bit. "I really shouldn't have come on this mission," I mumbled. I felt Natsu grab the hand that was on his head. He moved it a little and let go. I raised a brow at him. _Why'd he do that?_ Then I realized that sometime during Erza's explanation I stopped stroking his hair. Giggling, I complied with Natsu's silent command. I turned to look out the window. I thought about everything Erza had said. _Lullaby,_ I thought. _It sounds like what mothers would sing their kinds to go to sleep. It sounds familiar though. Where have I heard it from?_

I heard Gray and Erza talking quietly. Happy would say a comment or two every once in a while. _Why's he been so quiet this whole_ _time?_ The gentle sway of the train and the light murmurs of my companions slowly lulled me to sleep.

When I woke up, I realized that the train was still moving. _I must not have been asleep that long_. I looked over to Erza, Gray, and Happy. They weren't there. My eyes widened. I jerked a bit when Natsu slowly pushed himself into a sitting position. I was about to ask him why he got up when someone walked over to our sitting area.

The man had black hair tied into a spicky ponytail, a white shirt, a white jacket, and black pants on. He smiled at us. "Can I sit here?"

Natsu, or course, was silent. I smiled back at him. "If you answer me one question," I said. He seemed a bit surprised, but nodded his head. "What station are we going to?"

He raised a brow at me. "You don't know?" he asked.

I smiled sheepishly at him. "We fell asleep, and I'm worried we slept right through our stop."

He laughed. "We're going to Onibus Station," he answered.

I sighed. "We did miss our stop."

He laughed again and took a seat. We sat quietly for a while until he broke the silence. "I'm Kage. I see that you two are from a legal guild," he said with a smirk.

I immediately became suspicious. _No one says 'from a legal guild.' Is he affiliated with a dark guild?_ I smiled at him anyways. "Yes," I said. "We're from Fairy Tail." Holding up my left hand, I show him my guild mark.

"I see the legal guilds girls really are cute," he said. "Hey, buddy," he said to Natsu, "why don't you share this cutie with me?" My eyes widened.

Natsu's eyes snapped open. He glared murderously at Kage. Kage flinched back. The train suddenly hit a rough spot, and Natsu's glare disappeared. He looked like he was going to throw up. Kage found that amusing and laughed at Natsu. He stood up and was about to kick Natsu in the face, but I pushed his leg away from Natsu. I glared at him as I stood in front of Natsu.

"What a coward," I spit out. "Too afraid to take him on in a fair fight?" I asked in a mocking tone.

He glared at me and I was suddenly sent flying. I landed a few rows away from Natsu and Kage. I stood up. "Shut up, you fly," he spat.

I laughed. "I think the fly is the man trying to beat someone while he's already down." I was sent flying again, only this time it was because the train suddenly stopped. I looked over at Kage and saw a flute close to him. _What a weird looking flute_. It had a skull with three eyes on the top of it. My eyes widen. "Lullaby," I whisper.

Kage's eyes widen when he sees the flute also. He quickly grabs it and hides it in his jacket. "You weren't supposed to see that," he said. Shadows surround him, but before he can do anything, Natsu's fire burns away his shadows.

"Get the flute," I call out.

Natsu is about to grab Kage when the train starts moving again. Kage smirks and kicks Natsu away from him. Luckily, he kicked him towards me. I quickly grab out bags and put Natsu's arm over my shoulder. I drag Natsu as quickly as I can to the window. "Out," I command him. He glares at me. I give him a pleading look. He nods, grabs me, and jumps out the window. I scream.

I hear someone else yell. I open my eyes and see Gray in our path. I closed my eyes again and clung to Natsu. Both Natsu and Gray let out a pained yelp as they collided. All three of us tumbled to the ground. I landed of something firm, but definitely not hard like the ground. I opened my eyes and found myself looking at a black shirt. I looked up and realized I had landed on Natsu. He stared at me expectantly.

I smiled at him. "Thank you for being my landing pad." Then I realized his forehead was really red. I was confused. Reaching up, I gently touched the red spot. "Are you ok?" I asked.

He had a hint of a smile, but quickly covered it up with a scowl. "I'd be much better if you got off me, woman."

I glared at him and sat up. "Are you saying I'm fat?"

His eyes widened. "I never said that," he suddenly said.

I smiled at him. "Good," I said. I then turned to Gray. "Are you ok?" I asked.

He rubbed his forehead. "Yeah, I'll be fine."

"I am sorry," Erza suddenly said. "It was very irresponsible of me to leave you on the train. You may hit me if you wish," she said. She offered her arm.

I laughed nervously. "There's no need for that," I said.

"Woman," Natsu said. I turned to him and raised a brow. _He sounds like a Vulcan when he calls me that._ "Where did he hit you?" he asked.

I sucked in a breath. "That's right," I said. I turned to Erza. "Lullaby is death magic."

"What?" she asked in shock.

I heard an impatient sigh from behind me. I watched Gray stand up beside Erza. Happy snuggled into my chest. My eyes widened as I looked down at him. _When the heck did I start holding him?_ I felt Natsu come up behind me. He moved my head to the side a bit so he could see my check while I talked to Erza and Gray. "I read about it in a book. Lullaby is a flute decorated with a skill with three eyes. It was made to cast a spell on people to make them fall asleep. Then an evil wizard named Zeref got a hold of it." I flinched when Natsu skimmed his thumb over the check that Kage hit. "Zeref amplified its magic so anyone who hears it will fall into an eternal sleep." Natsu finally moved away from me. I looked down at the ground. "I'm sorry," I said. "This would all be solved already if I was stronger. Kage was on the train with the flute. I couldn't call out one of my spirits in time."

"I told you that you need protection," Natsu said.

I glared at him. "This is partially you fault, Aki," I said. "If you hadn't volunteered me to come, this would probably already be over."

"There's no time for bickering," Erza yelled. "Get in the car. We must hurry."

We all climbed into the car. Natsu laid his head on my lap without a second though. I sighed and looked out the window. I started stroking his hair. "I'm sorry," I said again.

"Don't worry about it, Lucy," Gray said. "It's a good thing you came. We would have stopped at the wrong station and been too late. We also would have never known what Lullaby was if it wasn't for you."

I smiled at him. "Thank you."


	10. Chapter 10

**Thank you to everyone again for all the reviews. Thank you so much, Braget, for your amazing review. It made me so happy! I plan for the entire story to be in Lucy's P.O.V. However, I wanted to put this in here.**

"Hey, Makarov," a man said.

Makarov looked over to the man that called him. The tall man was wearing a dark blue shirt, black pants, and a black hat. He was also wearing a collar with spikes. Another spiky collar was decorating his hat. "Oh, hey, Goldmine," Makarov said.

"How's Chaos?" he asked.

Makarov gave a defeated sigh and shook his head. "He's just as bad as ever," Makarov said. "Our new girl seems to want to get close to him."

All the guild masters around them shook their heads. "That poor girl is going to get hurt," another man said.

Makarov looked over at the new voice. It was a fat bald man. He was wearing a low cut, light purple V-neck with stripped shorts and purple high heels. The man was also wearing lipstick and blush. Makarov nodded at the man. "You're right, Bob," Makarov said, "but she went on a mission with him already."

All the masters gasped. "How hurt was the poor thing?" Bob asked.

Makarov looked deep in thought. "That's the thing," he said, "she wasn't hurt at all. She didn't have a single scratch."

"That's strange," Goldmine said. "Maybe he hurt her mentally instead of physically this time."

Makarov shook his head. "That's the strangest part," he said. "She looked at us like we were crazy when we asked if he hurt her."

Before anyone else could say anything a small bird flew through the window. It was carrying a letter and yelling, "Letter for Makarov." The bird delivered the letter to Makarov. He opened it, and a hologram of Mira popped up.

"Hello, Master," she said with a smile.

Makarov smiled smugly and held the letter for everyone to see. "Get a good look boys. This is Mirajane, Fairy Tail's cover girl."

"I have some amazing news for you! Erza, Gray, and Dragneel all teamed up," Mira said.

Blood drained from Makarov's face. "That can't be good," he said. "Natsu will pummel both of them then do the job by himself."

"I also sent Lucy with them," Mira smiled even wider now. "She's actually the only reason he's going."

Everyone crowded around Makarov now. "Chaos went because of a girl?" someone asked.

"I told her about his past like you asked me to, and in the process, I found out she's seen him smile _twice_ ," Mira gusted. "Happy also mentioned that Dragneel gave her a _piggyback ride_. He also seems protective of Lucy. He said he's going on the job because she can't protect herself, which she denied. Apparently, he _protected her_ on their job. Well, that's all I had to say, Master. Bye."

Everyone was dead silent. Makarov finally spoke, "If those three actually work together, they might destroy a whole town."

~Back to Lucy's P.O.V. ~

When we finally arrived at Onibus station, there was a giant crowd of people. The station workers were trying to keep them out and away from the station, but people tried to get in anyways. Erza just walked over to the man with the megaphone and asked him what was going on. He didn't answer her question, so he knocked him out.

"And I thought she was normal," I sighed.

"That was a stupid thought," Natsu said from beside me.

I glared at him and pouted. He didn't even look at me. He started walking through the crowd. Some people saw him and gasped. "It's Chaos," one man yelled. Everyone gasped and parted as quickly as they could. I ran up to Natsu and walked beside him. Some people gasped again and tried to pull me away from Natsu.

I just smiled at those people. "I know you're trying to help me, but I'm on this job with him," I explained.

"Lucy," I heard Happy whine. I looked behind me and found a pouting Happy. "I want you to hold me."

I giggled and opened my arms wide for him. He smiled and flew into my arms. I then turned around and caught up to Natsu. "Aki, why do they call you, Chaos?" Natsu gave an irritated sigh but didn't respond. I glared at him. _Why does he always ignore me?_

"It's because he's the chaos dragon slayer," Gray answered.

I smiled at Gray. "Thank you, Gray, for _not_ ignoring me and for answering my question," I said. I glanced over at Natsu. He rolled his eyes and kept walking. "Wait," I mumbled. Natsu and Gray stopped and looked at me. "He has so many names," I suddenly yelled.

"What?" Natsu asked.

I turned to him. "You have a lot of names. You're called Natsu, Dragneel, Aki, and Chaos," I explained. "If I didn't know any better, I would say you're very popular since everyone is giving you nicknames." I smiled up at him.

They stared at me. I fidgeted. _Did I say something wrong?_ Gray and Happy started laughing. Natsu chuckled and pat my head. I smiled at him again. Then we ran to catch up to Erza. On our way through the station, we saw men from the Fiore Army scattered everywhere. Suddenly very scared, I inched my way over to Natsu. We finally caught up to Erza. We stepped into a giant room and found the entire Eisenwald guild.

I saw Kage and glared at him. I also noticed that he had a bandage on his ear that wasn't there the last time Natsu and I saw him. "Aki," I said, "Kage is here." Natsu nodded and moved a little closer to me.

I made eye contact with Kage and glared at him. Kage's eyes widened. "You're the flies that were on the train," he yelled.

I smiled and waved at him. "Hi, Kage," I called over. "Mind telling me what you're doing with Lullaby? Its death magic, you know?"

He glared at me. "It's your fault Erigor was mad at me," he said. "You'll pay for that." Suddenly, shadows were rocketing toward me.

My eyes widened. Someone suddenly yanked my arm. I stumbled out of the way as black and blue flames incinerated the shadows. I giggled as Kage stared in shock at Natsu. I smiled at him. "Aki will just burn your shadows away."

"What?" Kage asked.

I smiled even bigger. "Aki means autumn, which is cold, but depending on what the type of writing, it can also mean bright." I pat Natsu's shoulder. "Your shadows stand no chance against Aki's bright flames."

"Your name isn't really Aki is it?" I heard Erigor ask. I turn my attention to him. He's staring at Natsu, but Natsu is ignoring him. He's staring at Kage, ready for any attack. Erigor waits for a reply, but one never comes. "Answer me, Fly," Erigor yells. Natsu once again ignores him.

"No," Erza finally says. "His name is not Aki. That is Lucy's nickname for him. What are you going to do with Lullaby?"

Erigor seems to completely forget about Natsu. _One track mind?_ He smirks at her. "Tell me, what do all train stations have?"

Erza and Gray looked at a loss for words. _What kind of question is that? All train stations have a lot of things._ Erza's eyes widened. "You plan on broadcasting it over the PA system," she said.

"You're smarter than you look, Fly," Erigor said. He started laughing. "People are flocking here to figure out what's happening, and I'm sure that if I turn it up loud enough, the entire town could hear it."

"You won't get away with this," Erza yelled. "We'll stop you."

Erigor just laughed. "Take care of these flies," he said. He started floating and flew away.

I stared after him with wide eyes. "He can _fly_?" I asked.

"Wind magic," Erza explained. I nodded. "Gray, Dragneel, I need you two to go after Erigor. Lucy and I will take care of the rest of them.

I took a deep breath. _I need to show Aki that I can hold my own._ I nodded and stepped away from Natsu. Natsu raised a brow at me. I smiled at him. "Don't worry and go kick some butt," I said. Natsu rolled his eyes and started running after Erigor.

"You two be careful," Gray yelled as he ran after Natsu.

Erza and I started fighting. Happy helped too. He started throwing food at some of the men. _Where'd he even get the food from?_ While we fought, Erza decided to start a conversation. "What did you do to make Dragneel listen to you?"

I giggled a little. "Well, at first I just annoyed him a lot by calling him Na-kun," I admitted.

"It still doesn't make sense though," she said. "He just harms anyone who annoys him."

"She has episodes," Happy said. "I don't know why, but he became a bit softer on her once he found out about them."

"Episodes?" Erza asked.

"Aye," Happy said, "she-."

"It's nothing," I said quickly. "So, what's your opinion of Aki?"

Erza goes silent for awhile. "He's very strong. He doesn't care about anyone though," she finally said. "What's your opinion of him?"

We finally took down the last man in the guild. I turned and gave Erza a sad smile. "He's lonely," I said. "Mira and Gray told me his story, so I can imagine what he feels. He feels lonely because the one person he loved abandoned him. He's scared that it will happen again. He's bitter that it even happened. He met a strange man that pretty much kidnapped him. He woke up in a strange place with a boy who wouldn't stop bugging him for a fight. When he did fight him, the boy was seriously hurt. Then everyone turned on him. He probably acts like he does to protect himself."

She shook her head and glared at me. "Are you saying that what he did was ok?" she ground out.

"No," I said quietly. "I'm saying that he grew up with a dragon. He was used to fighting with a dragon, so he must have been shocked when he hurt Gray so much, and when everyone turned on him, he became even lonelier than before."

Erza looked at the ground. "I never thought of it like that," she said quietly. She shook her head. "We need to get back on task. We can talk about this later," she said. "Go after the boys. I'll get information from these guys."

I nodded and started running, but then stopped and turned back to her. "Erza," I called. She looked at me. I smiled at her. "If you want to be his friend, I would start with calling him Natsu instead of Dragneel." With that, I turned around and ran down the hall. _I hope she takes my advice. I know what it's like to be alone even though you're surrounded by people._


	11. Chapter 11

**Sorry I didn't get this out yesterday, but I had a few appointments. Then I got upset, and I can't write when I'm upset. Thank you everyone who did a review! I also want to say think you to everyone who favorited (I know it's not a real word) or followed since I haven't done that yet. There are over 100 followers for the story. I can't believe it! Also, change of plans with only Lucy's P.O.V. There will be others. I'm not very good at male P.O.V.s since I'm a girl. I haven't edited it and it's short. I wanted to get this published though, so I'll go back and look at it again tomorrow to fix the grammar and some spelling.**

~ Natsu's P.O.V. ~

 _Erza better take care of her._ I ran through the corridors of the train station looking for Erigor. I stopped suddenly. _I left Lucy with that Kage guy._ I shook my head and started running again. _She said she and Erza would take care of those guys._

"Dragneel," I heard Gray yell.

I inwardly sighed. _What does he want?_ Instead of finding out, I continued to run. I turned another corner. I ran past room after room without stopping. I knew no one was in those rooms because of my heightened sense of smell. I ran down another hall, but stopped when I saw that there were two halls. I sighed again. _Now I actually have to wait for Gray._

"Dragneel," he yelled again. I glared at him. He flinched and stopped a few feet away from me.

I felt a little hurt. I continued to glare at him. He looked anywhere but at me. I sighed in irritation. _Not gonna look at me, huh?_ "I'm going this way," I said. I turned and started running.

"Wait," he said. My eyes widened and I stopped. _He's actually going to talk to me?_ "Why are you so soft on Lucy?"

 _I walk through the woods to get to the town Everlue is in. I hear her breathing hard, but she's still having a conversation with Happy. I glance over my shoulder and saw that she was struggling. She was already pretty far behind, but didn't complain. With a frustrated sigh, I stopped. When I gave her a piggyback ride, she thanked me. She_ thanked me _. She even tried to get to know me. It felt nice being relied on._

My mind jumps to another interaction.

 _I glared at her. "I knew you wouldn't be able to complete even a simple job like this," I hissed._

 _I saw her eyes widen with hurt. She looked down at the book. "Then," she whispered then cleared her throat, "then let me read it right now and we can burn it after," I say confidently. She looked at me and_ smiled.

 _I knew I'd hurt her, but I was frustrated. She won't do the job. I was initially shocked by the smile, but I didn't let the distract me. I glared again. "No," I growled. "Stop being a bother and give me the book you useless woman." I knew that was harsh, but I had to get my point across._

 _I expected her to get angry or cry. I expected her to yell at me or call me mean, rude, or horrible. I did not expect her to_ _flinch. Her eyes snapped shut and she took a step back. She started trembling in fear. My eyes widened. I didn't want a reaction like this. I just wanted the stinkin' book._

" _Hey," I called._

 _She flinched again and dropped the book. She held her arms up as if she was protecting herself. She took another step back. "I-I'm sorry," she stammered out._

 _It was then that I realized she wasn't talking to me. She was talking to someone in her past. I was shocked. This stubborn, cheerful girl was mistreated as a kid._

 _I didn't even realize that Happy was talking to her until I heard a laugh, but it was obviously fake. I looked at Lucy again. Her smile was fake too, but it seemed so practiced. Why would she have to practice smiling?_

" _Don't worry, Happy," she said. "It's nothing." It was a lie. It was so obviously a lie. Why is she hiding it?_

 _Something similar happened when we got back to the clients house. I didn't cause it this time though. She still smiled and acted like nothing happened, but why?_

"That annoying woman needs someone to protect her," I finally said without looking at Gray. I then start running. I run down every hall, but no one is in any of the rooms. I do smell the shadow guy following me though, so Irun into the last room in the hall and turn to the door. "Come out," I commanded.

A giant shadow came into the room. Then Kage slowly came out of the shadow. He was smirking. "I finally get to beat you. That'll shut that stupid blond up," he said. His shadows suddenly launched at me.

I engulfed myself in flames, and the shadows near me vanished. His eyes widen when I appear a few inches away from him. I growled and punched him in the face. He flew through a few walls before finally stopping. I walked over to him and glared down at him. "She's not stupid, you fool," I ground out. He groaned in pain. I picked him up by the collar. "Tell me where Erigor is."

He laughed. "He's already gone. He's been gone for a while now."

I growled and punched him again. "Dragneel," I heard Erza yell. I glared over my shoulder at her. "Don't hurt him."

My glare intensifies as I turn to her. I see gray with her, but no Lucy. I glare at her again. _I knew I shouldn't have trusted them._ I was about to turn on Erza when I smelled Lucy and Happy in the other room. I turned my attention to the hole in the wall and watched at Lucy came into the room with happy in her arms. _That cat is getting lazy._

"What's going on?" Lucy asked.

 _I'd like to know the same thing._ I stared at Erza for an explanation. She seemed to shrink a little under my gaze, but explained anyways. "Kage is a dispeller. We need him to dispel the wind barrier that's around the station so we can get out," Erza explained.

We suddenly heard Kage yell out in pain. We turned our attention to Kage and saw him slump to the ground. One of the men from his guild was staring at Kage with a guilty look. He was also shaking uncontrollably.

My eyes widened a bit when I realized what happened. _He tried to kill his own guild mate? Why would he do that? I don't really have any attachments to the guild, but I still wouldn't kill them._ I quickly grabbed him and pulled him out of the wall.

Gray grabbed him and punched him as hard as he could. "Why would you do that? He was your guild mate! He was your family!" **(I know that's actually close to Natsu's line, but I wanted it in there.)** He looked like he wanted to kill the man, but restrained himself. Erza was desperately trying to wake Kage up, but he was too injured. I looked over at Lucy and saw the horrified look on her face.

"Woman," I called. Lucy looked at me. I stared at her for a bit. Then I motioned with my head to come to me. She obediently followed my orders and came to me. That's one thing I like about Lucy. She usually follows my orders without question or complaint. When she does, it turns out to be a good thing. _We would have burned that book and never known how important it was. I don't care about final words because he's still out there. He hasn't said his final words yet. I'm going to find him. I only care about what he's going to say._

Lucy stood beside me without a word. "Can one of your spirits get us out of here?" I suddenly asked her.

She looks at me with a bit of surprise. She sighs and shakes her head. "I don't have a spirit that could get us out of this situation." She looked upset, but didn't voice her thoughts.


	12. Chapter 12

**Hello! I want to say thank you for all the amazing reviews. I got a few amazing ones from some anons (anonymous people). Thank you all! I also want to promote something real quick. It's new book series. It's called Jackaby. It's amazing! I'm planning on breaking up the things Natsu said and did in the series between some of the characters.**

~ Lucy's P.O.V. ~

Erza finally gave up trying to wake Kage up. She stood up and glared at the wall.

Gray looked ready to explode. "They're after the guild masters," he finally said. "They used this place as a decoy."

Erza glared at Gray. "Why didn't you tell me this sooner?" she yelled.

She, Gray, Happy, and Natsu started leaving the room. They just left Kage on the ground. I looked between the group and Kage. With a sigh, I walked over to Kage and started putting his arm over my shoulder. I knew I wasn't strong enough to drag him through the train station though. With another sigh, I looked over at the group. They had stopped to watch me.

"What are you doing?" Gray asked.

I looked at them. "We can't leave him here. He needs medical attention," I said.

Natsu just sighed in irritation. He walked over to us and put Kage on his back. "Happy now, woman?" he asked.

I smiled at him. "Yes," I said. "Thank you, Aki." We stood up and ran to the entrance of the train station. I quickly helped Natsu lay Kage on the ground. Then we stood up and looked to the wind barrier.

"We can't just plow through it," Gray said. "It will rip you apart."

Erza nodded. "I know," she said, "I tried." She went back to Kage and tried to wake him up again.

That's when we noticed that her arm was hurt. My eyes widened along with Grays. "Erza, are you ok?" Gray asked.

"I'll be fine," Erza said.

"Gray," I said. "Can you freeze the wind and have Aki break it?"

He sighed. "I would've done that a long time ago if I could."

Natsu suddenly ran at the barrier. "I'll just break through it," Natsu said. He rammed into it with his shoulder. He yelled out in pain as he flew back.

"Natsu," I yell. My eyes widened as he stood back up and charged again. _He's going to kill himself!_ I watched as he got blown back again. His cloak had a hole in the shoulder now. That shoulder and the side of his face were cut up, but he still got up and charged. "H-hey," I yelled. "Stop it! You'll get cut into pieced!" He ignored me and continued to charge at the barrier. _I can't watch him hurt himself anymore!_ I ran up to Natsu and pulled him away from the barrier. I hooked one arm under his shoulder and the other was over his other shoulder. "I said stop it, Natsu."

"What are we going to do?" Erza yelled.

Natsu stared at me over his shoulder. My cheeks flushed as I stared back. _This is a bit awkward since we're so close._ "What?" I asked.

Happy suddenly yelled. I clung to Natsu in fear as all our heads whipped over to face Happy."I just remembered," he said. He took off his little bag and dug through it. He then held up Virgo's key in triumph. "This," he said.

My eyes widened. I let go of Natsu and marched over to Happy. "That's Virgo's key," I yelled. "You shouldn't take someone else's key without permission," I yelled.

"But she gave it to me herself," Happy said.

"What?" I yelled in shock. _Why would Virgo give_ Happy _her key?_

"What are you talking about?" Erza asked. She stood up and walked toward us.

"Don't waste our time talking about nonsense," Gray yelled.

Natsu glared at him. "Virgo can dig tunnels, so shut your trap unless you know what you're talking about," he growled. Gray flinched and looked away.

I gave Natsu an apologetic smile. "She won't be able to help us, though," I said. "I don't have a contract with her. She has a contract with Everlue."

"Actually," Happy cut in, "she said since Everlue was arrested, their contract was broken, so she wanted a contract with you this time." Then he mumbled, "She came to my place." My eyes widened. _I can make a contract with her. We have a way out._

"Woman," Natsu said. I looked at him. "Hurry up and call the gorilla maid. We don't have all day."

I smiled at him and nodded. I stood a few feet away from everyone. I held out Virgo's key. "I am the person who connects the road to the celestial spirit world," I said. "Thou shalt respond to the calling and pass through the gate." Energy swirled around the end of the key. "Open," I yelled. "The door to the virgin, Virgo!"

A skinny pink haired woman appeared in front of me. She had shackles around her wrists and was bowing. "How may I help you, Mistress?" she asked.

I flinched a little, but quickly covered it up by staring at her. _I hope no one saw that._ "Who are you?" I asked.

"I am Virgo, Mistress," Virgo said. I flinched again. "I am a loyal celestial spirit. I work in whatever appearance you'd like me to."

I stared at her for a few more seconds. Then I shook my head. "We have no time. Can we make a contract later?"

"Of course, Mistress," Virgo said. This time I stifled the instinct to flinch. She then quickly dove into the ground to make a tunnel for us to get out of.

We were about to leave when Natsu walked over to Kage, who had just woken up. He picked him up and started walking toward us. "What are you doing, Dragneel?" Gray asked.

Natsu just glared at him and walked over to the hole. I smiled as he passed by. Once we all passed through the tunnel, we emerged a few feet outside the barrier. It was much windier out here than it was inside. My skirt started blowing up because of the wind, but I held down the front of it as Virgo held down the back.

"Mistress, your underwear is almost showing," Virgo said.

"You should worry about covering yourself," I mumbled.

"Woman," I hear Natsu call. I turned around to see him. "Hurry up," he said while opening his arms.

I looked at him in confusion. _Why is he opening his arms like that? It looks like he wants a hug._ "The car's that way though," I said. I pointed behind me in the direction Gray, Happy, and Erza were walking.

He glared at me. "You must be stupid if you think we can catch him in a car," he said.

I glared back at him. "And what are _we_ going to do? Walk?" I asked as I put my hands on my hips.

His glare intensified. He took a step towards me. I flinched _again_ , but stood my ground. _I'm too sensitive._ Natsu grabbed me around the waste and shot off the ground. I screamed and clung to him. I heard him chuckle as we flew through the air. Once I finally calmed down a bit, I finally looked around us. _How is this possible?_ I looked behind us and saw Natsu's feet shooting flames. My eyes widened with amazement. "You're using flames to fly?" I asked in awe.

"Obviously," Natsu sighed.

"Won't this tire you out before your fight though?" I asked. He didn't respond to me. I sighed and held on tight. _I'm just slowing him down_. My eyes widen. "Why'd you even bring me?" I asked. "You know I'm not strong enough to help you take on Erigor."

He sighed again. "That's exactly why I'm bringing you," he said.

"What?" I asked in shock. "Are you going to use me as bait or something? Maybe a distraction?"

He rolled his eyes. "He'd kill you in a heartbeat," he said.

"Then why did you bring me?" I asked. Natsu refused to answer me, and I got tired of trying to get him to answer. Natsu put on a sudden burst of speed. I squeaked and held on tighter. He chuckled again. After a few minutes, Natsu held me tighter.

"Hand on tight," he said. Natsu then held me with only one arm and lit his free fist on fire. Then he hit Erigor in the face.

Erigor fell to the train tracks below. Natsu quickly landed and set me down. "Don't get in the way," he said. I glared at him. _If he's only going to put me off to the side and scold me, why bother bringing me at all?_

Erigor stood back up. "Y-you," he said darkly. "Why are you here?"

Natsu didn't respond to him. Instead, he appeared a few inches away from Erigor and punched him in the face again with a flaming fist. Erigor quickly got up and shot wind at Natsu. Natsu was knocked off balance and fell off the tracks.

My eyes widened. "Natsu," I yelled. _Please be alright._

"Don't go yelling my name like that, woman," I heard Natsu say as he flew onto the tracks again. "Did you really forget that I _flew_ us here?"

I laughed sheepishly. "Maybe," I said.

Natsu focused on Erigor again. He used his flames to fly at Erigor and punch him in the gut. Erigor was knocked back a few feet and landed roughly on the tracks. Natsu quickly followed up by kicking him with a flaming foot. He turned in the air to punch Erigor again, but Erigor jumped before the punch connected and used his magic to stay in the air. He then caused the wind to sweep Natsu's feet out from under him and caused a giant storm to hit Natsu directly. Natsu was disoriented at the moment, and Erigor used that to his advantage. He flew at Natsu and swung his scythe at him.

"Natsu," I screamed.

Natsu miraculously landed on his feet and used his arm to stop the scythe. The scythe cut his arm, but luckily it didn't cut his arm _off_. It didn't even get that far past his skin. I sighed in relief. _I wish I could do something. I hate sitting here doing nothing, but Natsu was right. Erigor would kill me in a second flat._

"He stopped it with his arm?" Erigor shouted in shock. Natsu closed his mouth and his cheeks puffed up. Erigor suddenly looked a bit scared. "Is he going to shoot flames from his mouth?"

As soon as the flames started to leave Natsu's mouth, Erigor flew strait up. The flames just barely missed him. Once he was a safe distance away and Natsu stopped spewing flames, Erigor watched Natsu from the sky. "I underestimated you a bit. Let's fight seriously now," Erigor said.

My eyes widened in fear. "They weren't fighting seriously?" I whispered.

"Storm Mail," Erigor said. Wind surrounded Erigor and was so fast that I could barely see Erigor's face. The wind morphed to the form of his body and clothes like armor. "Here I come," Erigor said. Erigor shot to the ground and landed on the tracks

Natsu charged at him with a flaming fist. Erigor simply caught Natsu's fist and his flame was put out. Natsu looked shocked for a split second, but quickly recovered by throwing his other fist. Erigor caught that one too. Once again Natsu's flames went out.

"Just as I thought," Erigor said. "You can't generate that destructive power unless you're coated with flame. It's useless now."

I sucked in a breath. _Natsu can't use his flames. How does he beat him if he can't use his flames?_

Natsu pulled back a few feet. He looked utterly confused. Now that Erigor was closer, I could clearly see his face. He was smirking at Natsu. "Storm Mail blows wind inside out," Erigor explained. "Don't you get it? Flame can't go against headwind. Flames simply cannot defeat wind." Erigor suddenly released a powerful wind **(with his magic not his rear)**. "You're flames won't tough me now. Die," he yelled.

Natsu flies at Erigor. His flames go out again, and he's knocked back. I quickly scramble up and catch him before he hits the ground. Erigor sends another powerful wind at us. I cry out in pain and cling to Natsu as we fly back. I make sure I'm the one that lands on the tracks instead of Natsu. _Since Natsu is doing all the fighting, the least I can to is soften his falls._ I sit up with Natsu in my arms. I look back at Erigor, but the tracks catch my attention. My eyes widen when I realize part of the bridge fell apart.

Erigor had a triumphant smirk on his face. "Not back," he said. "Your bodies are still on one piece. The boy was pretty good for a young mage." Erigor smirked at me. "All that's left is the last little fly on the bridge." Natsu grunted in pain as he sat up. Erigor's eyes widened. "He's still alive?"

A sudden idea popped in my head. "Natsu," I said quietly. "How hot can you get your flames?" He looked at me quizzically. "If you can get your flames hot enough, it will heat up the air around you. Warm air goes up and creates a low pressure area. Air or in this case wind, goes toward low pressure areas. In other words," I say with a smile, "you can control where his wind goes."

Natsu's eyes widen. He then smirks. My heart skipped a beat. He takes off his cloak, wraps my in it, and pulls the hood over my head. "It's fire proof," he explains. Natsu stands up, and I scoot a few feet away from him. His body instantly ignites. I can feel the air getting hotter and hotter. I look over at Erigor and see his eyes widen as his storm mail disappears. Natsu then punches Erigor in the gut with all the strength and flames he's gathered. Erigor is knocked out instantly and I see Lullaby land on the tracks a few feet from him.

I smile at him. "That was amazing, Aki," I said.

He walks over to me and sits down in front of me. As soon as he hits the ground, we hear something on the tracks. We look and see Gray, Erza, Happy, and Kage all in a car coming toward us. I smile and wave at them. They climb out of the car and run over to us. Kage's eyes widen when he sees Erigor. Everyone else's eyes widen when they see me.

I started feeling uncomfortable under their stares. "What?" I asked.

"You're wearing…" Erza didn't finish.

I looked down at myself. That's when I realized that I was still wearing Natsu's cloak. I smiled at Erza. _This may be my only chance to actually get a good look at what Natsu wears under this cloak._ I look at Natsu to see what he's wearing. His shirt had a high collar, but the collar was open in the front, so you could see his neck. There was only one sleeve. This let everyone see the black Fairy Tail mark on the top of his right arm near his shoulder. The bottom of the long shirt opened up under his brown belt letting people see his white, baggy pants that end mid calf. There's also a brown band on the arm with a sleeve, and he has on black sandals. There's orange trimming around the collar, down the middle, and on the bottom of the shirt. **(For those that can't understand what I'm describing: the clothes he wore after they got back from Tentrou Island.)** As I was examining him, I noticed that he had a scare on his neck.

Natsu raised a brow at me. My cheeks flush and I look away. _Somehow his clothes make him look even more handsome._ I take off his cloak and hand it back to him. He takes it and quickly puts it back on.

We turn our attention back to the others. They watched us as if we were an unbelievable sight. I flushed more and looked away. I heard Erza clear her throat, which made me look at her again. She looked a bit nervous as she spoke. "Good job, Drag-," she cut herself off. She took a deep breath and gave Natsu a small smile. "Good job, Natsu."

Natsu's eyes widened for a second. Then he gave a small smile back. "The woman helped," he said.

I pouted. "Why won't you call me by my name?"

He ignored me and glared at somthing behind the others. "Touch that flute and I'll throw you in the canyon," he growled.

I turned and saw Kage's eyes widen. He backed away from the flute. I sighed and turned back to the others. "We should probably bring Lullaby to the masters," I said, "and Kage and Natsu need to see doctors." I saw Natsu roll his eyes, but he didn't protest. We got back into the car. This time Gray drove, so Erza can get some rest.


	13. Chapter 13

**Hello! I know reading thank you over and over again is probably boring and annoying, but I still want to say it! Thank you to everyone for even reading this! Sorry this took me longer to upload than usual. School started back up and I haven't had much time to write.**

~ Erza's P.O.V. ~

We're in the car on our way to the guild masters meeting. Kage is sitting beside me and staring at Natsu and Lucy. I can't help but to stare as well. Lucy is sitting across from me. She's running her fingers through Natsu's hair while he's laying his head on her lap. He has a peaceful look on his face that I've never seen before. I've only ever seen him glare or scowl at people. The most amazing part is that Lucy doesn't find it a big deal. She acts like it's the most natural thing in the world.

"Erigor was beaten by a guy that gets motion sick?" Kage asks.

Natsu growled a little, but it was cut short by a groan of pain. Happy finally spoke up. "Natsu said it was also thanks to Lucy," he said.

Lucy finally looked at us. She gave looked an embarrassed smile. "I only gave Aki an idea. He's the one that did all the work."

Kage suddenly looked confused. "What's his name? I've heard people call him Aki, Dragneel, and Natsu," he said. His eyes widened suddenly. He looked at Natsu with sudden fear. "Wait," he said shakily. "He's Natsu Dragneel, isn't he?"

I nodded in confirmation. "Congratulations," I said. "You survived a fight with Chaos."

He suddenly let out a hysterical laughed. It seemed to have scared Lucy because she jumped a bit. Natsu let out a groan of protest. She smiled at him a little and started stroking his hair again. He let out a content sigh. I stared at them again. _He's like a totally different person with her._

Happy snickered. "They likes each other," he said slyly.

"Oh hush," Lucy snapped. She gave Happy a halfhearted glare. She then smiles at me. "So how are you doing, Erza? Are you feeling better?"

I smiled at her. _How did such a sweet girl agree to team up with Natsu?_ "I'm fine, Lucy. Thank you." She smiled then looked out the window. "So tell me about these episodes of yours," I said.

She stiffens, but continues looking out the window. I see out of the corner of my eye that Kage was suddenly interested in our conversation. Happy watches Lucy as well. _Maybe he wants to know why she has the episodes too._ "What do you want to know about them?" she asks lightly.

"Well, I'd firstly like to know the signs that you'rehaving an episode," I said.

She sighs. "I don't know. You'll have to ask Happy or Aki," she said.

I raise a brow at her even though she's not looking at me. I then turn my attention to Happy. "She starts trembling and tearing up. If you try to get closer to her, she flinches. She also says 'sorry' and 'I'm sorry' almost every time I've seen it happen."

I'm so confused now. I turn back to Lucy. For the first time, I see her with a frown. I've seen her look angry and disappointed in someone's actions before, but I've never seen her frown. "What causes these episodes?" I ask.

She shrugs. "A few things do," she answered. I see her hand stop stroking Natsu's hair. She grabs his cloak instead.

"What do you see in these episodes?" I asked quietly. She doesn't respond to me. She just holds Natsu's cloak tighter. "I need to know, Lucy. If you have an episode in the middle of a battle, you could put yourself and those around you in danger."

Her hold on the cloak tightens even more. I hear a faint growl and look down at Natsu. He gives me his best glare through his pain. "She was abused as a kid," Natsu growled.

Everyone's breathe hitched. The car suddenly stopped and Gray looked back from the driver's seat. She started trembling. "How did you know?" she whispers.

Seeing her tremble makes my blood boil. Natsu rolls his eyes at her. "It's easy to tell when you flinch when anyone reaches for you during an episode. On top of that, saying 'sorry' over and over again is a dead giveaway," Natsu explains.

"Is that why you said someone needs to protect her?" Gray asks in astonishment. "You're so soft on her and protect her because you figured this out?"

My eyes widen. _That would explain a lot. I can understand why he'd want to be nice to her, but isn't he too nice and too protective for it to just be because of that?_ I watch as she smiles down at him. His eyes soften a little bit.

" _Good job, Drag-," I cut myself off. I took a deep breath and gave Natsu a small smile. "Good job, Natsu."_

 _Natsu's eyes widened for a second. Then he gave a small smile back. "The woman helped," he said._

"That's not the only reason," I told Gray quietly.

"Why do you say that?" Gray asked.

I smiled sadly at him. "Lucy hasn't pushed him away," I said quietly. I feel Gray slowly start the car again. I watch Natsu and Lucy silently. _Lucy was right. We did push him away after that. Even Master pushed him away. He doesn't even like talking_ about _Natsu let alone talking_ to _Natsu. From what I understand, Lucy only tried to get closer to him._

After a few minutes, we finally stopped outside the building where the guild masters meeting was taking place. At the same time we got out of the car, the guild masters came out of the building. Master Makarov was at the front of the group along with Master Goldmine and Master Bob. Their eyes widened when they saw our sorry state. I was about to fall over with exhaustion and was a bit beat up. Gray was beat up and starting go get exhausted thanks to driving the car. Lucy was a bit beat up and helping Natsu stand at the moment, and Natsu looked the worst of all. He was beat up and had his arm around Lucy's shoulders so he can stand. His cloak was torn on one of his shoulders and had a few tears in other places. I think the most shocking thing to everyone was his reliance on Lucy though. Then there's Kage. His chest and arms were bandaged up along with a few bandages on his face.

I grabbed Kage's arm and walked over to the master. "We need medical attention for Kage and Natsu. Kage is a member of the dark guild Eisenwald. Eisenwald was going to use Lullaby, a flute with death magic, to kill all of the guild masters. Natsu, Lucy, Happy, Gray, and I managed to stop them before they could succeed. Erigor is on the tracks coming into Clover," I explained.

All of the masters gasped, but Master Makarov quickly recovered. "And where is Lullaby?" he asked.

I handed him the flute. He nodded and turned to the rest of my group. His eyes widened a bit again, and I turned to see Natsu and Lucy sitting beside each other. Happy flew into Lucy's lap with a smile. She smiled down at him then turned her attention back to Natsu.

"Next time you come to my apartment I'll fix your cloak," Lucy said.

Natsu's eyes widened a bit, but he quickly went back to a board expression. "Why would you do that?"

Lucy rolled her eyes. "You took me to my dream guild, helped me on my first mission, and let me borrow your cloak to keep me from burning. I want to help you too," Lucy said.

His eyes widened again. I watch with awe as his eyes softened and he gave her a soft smile. "Do what you want, woman," he said.

My eyes widened. _I've never seen him with such a caring look before._ I heard everyone behind me gasp.

"I never knew that boy could have such an expression," I heard Master Goldmine say.

I turned back to them with a sad smile and nodded. "I've seen a few different sides of Natsu than I've ever seen before," I said.

I saw Master Makarov's eyes widen as he turned to me. "When did you start calling him 'Natsu'?" he asked.

"Lucy told me to," I said. "She said he was probably really lonely and that's why he was so rude and violent, so I should start to try to get to know him," I explained.

"Who's that girl?" Bob asked.

I raised a brow and turned back to Natsu, Lucy, and Happy. I found Natsu watching her fondly as she laughed at something Happy had said. "That's Lucy," I said with a small smile. "She's the newest member of our guild."

"Drop the flute," Natsu yelled.

Master dropped it without hesitation. _Just because Natsu warmed up to Lucy doesn't mean he won't fight Master, and the last time that happened both of them were in the hospital._ I looked at Natsu and saw him stand up and step in front of Lucy. He was staring at Lullaby. I looked down and saw its eyes glowing. My eyes widened. "Get back," I yelled. All of the guild masters backed away along with me. Lucy stood up and tried to stand beside Natsu, but he only glared at her. She moved back behind him, but stood close. Gray ran to me and stared at Lullaby with the rest of us.

"I can't hole it any longer," Lullaby yelled. "I'll just eat you all myself!" Tendrils of smoke billowed out of Lullaby.

"The flute talked," I hear Lucy yell.

"The smoke is forming a shape," Happy yelled.

I glanced at them and saw Natsu roll his eyes.

The smoke solidified to make a giant wooden monster. "Let me consume your pitiful souls!"

"What?" I yelled out. _I thought Lullaby was just a regular flute._


	14. Chapter 14

**Hey! I wanted to say that I'm mostly going off the manga, so if a few things are said a bit differently than the anime (cause I can't remember if there's a difference) then that's why. I'm also changing what they say a little sometimes because it seems weird sometimes. Also, thanks again for the reviews! There were a few suggestions that I never really thought about, but you guys definitely made me start thinking about how I could incorporate them into the story! I'll try my best to add them! Sorry this note is so long.**

~ Lucy's P.O.V. ~

I held onto Natsu's cloak as we look up at Lullaby. _Why did it turn into a giant monster?_ I glanced at everyone else. Erza, Gray, and Happy looked scared while Master just raised his brow at it. Natsu, of course, looked unaffected by the whole thing and just watched it.

"What is that," Kage yelled. He was shaking in fear as he looked up at Lullaby. "I didn't know anything about this!"

I stared at him. I was a little shocked. _Why would you unseal something without knowing exactly what it can do?_

"Oh my," I hear a man say. I turn to look at him and find a bald, fat man holding a hand over his mouth to hide his smile. I can see that's he's a bit scared though. "This is bad."

"It's the devil from the book of Zeref," I heard another man yell. I turn to the new voice and see a guy wearing a spiked collar. _What's with everyone and dressing really weird?_

"I'm starving to death, so I'm gonna eat your souls," Lullaby said. I turned back to Lullaby.

My eyes widened. I held onto Natsu's cloak and could feel myself trembling. "What's going on?" I asked. "How could a devil come out of a flute?"

"That devil is the Lullaby itself," I heard the guy with the collar explain. "Meaning it's a living magic. That's Zeref's magic."

"Living magic," Erza said thoughtfully.

"Zeref," Gray yelled. "You mean Zeref from the ancient times?" He seemed even more scared now. _Why is Gray so scared of a creation by Zeref?_

As if he read my mind, the bald guy started talking. "Dark mage Zeref, the most atrocious mage in the history of magic," he said. He put a hand on his cheek and smiled. "I never imagined that this adverse legacy from several hundred years ago would reappear." _Who is that guy?_

"Now whose soul should I enjoy first?" Lullaby asked.

"He doesn't seem to care that there was a conversation going on," I mumbled. Happy burst out laughing, and Natsu chuckled a bit. Natsu was too quiet for anyone else to hear though.

"I've decided," Lullaby said.

"I think he's just as bad as you, Aki. He keeps ignoring people," I said. Happy laughed even louder.

Natsu sighed. "Take the situation seriously, woman," he said. "There's a devil trying to eat our souls."

"All of yours," Lullaby said. _I knew he wouldn't listen._ Lullaby stared sucking in energy.

I let go of Natsu and covered my ears. Natsu, Gray, and Erza immediately started charging at Lullaby. Master seemed surprised by their sudden synchronization. Erza requipped into her Heaven's Wheel armor, which I got to see earlier at the station.

"Requipping armor," I heard the guy with the collar yell in astonishment. _Is it that rare?_

Erza cut one of Lullaby's legs. Lullaby yelled out in pain. Natsu used his fire to fly and kick Lullaby in the face so hard that the devil's entire body was moved.

"Whoa," I heard one of the guild master yell.

"Wow," another yelled. "He blew away the devil's body with just a kick!"

"Is he really a mage?" another asked.

I rolled my eyes at the last comment. _Of course he's a mage. If he wasn't, he wouldn't be fighting Lullaby._

"How impudent," Lullaby said. _Did he really just say he's rude?_ Lullaby shot balls of magic at Natsu. Natsu used the devil's shoulder to get out of the way. Unfortunately, the magic was now directed at the guild masters, Happy, and I. My eyes widened. _There's no way we can get away from that!_

Gray was suddenly in front of our group. "Ice make shield," he said.

"An ice make mage?" one master asked in shock.

Another master started to run. He yelled out, "He won't make it in time! We'll get hit!"

Gray suddenly thrust his hands out to either side of him. A giant shield made of ice formed almost instantaneously in front of him, and it came just in time too. The magic hit the shield as soon as it was up. Most of the guild masters looked stunned.

"He's fast," one master yelled.

"He's able to control maker magic that fast?" another master yelled. _Maker magic?_

I saw Master Makarov smile smugly. I decided to ask my questions now before I forgot them. "What's maker magic?" I asked.

Surprisingly, it was Happy that answered me. "It's a type of magic that gives shape to the magic power and that can take that shape away," Happy explained. I was shocked. _I've never heard of that before. Come to think of it, I haven't heard of a lot of things dealing with types of magic before._

I turned and saw Gray holding his hands in front of him with his palms out and crossed over each other. "Ice make lance," he said. Natsu flew away as giant lances shot out from Gray's palms and hit Lullaby.

"What destructive power," I yelled in shock. _No wonder Fairy Tail is said to be so destructive. They have so much power that they can't help but be destructive._

"Now," Gray yelled.

I saw Erza fly up to Lullaby in black armor with wings attached. "Black wing armor," one guild master yelled in shock. "It's a magic armor that increases the attack's destructive power!" _What the heck is with these old men yelling out information during a battle. I appreciate it since it explained a few things, but it's still weird._

Gray, Natsu, and Erza attacked Lullaby at the same time. Natsu smashed Lullaby's head with both of his hands as Erza cut across its body, and Gray hit it with even more lances. My eyes widened with amazement. _I never would have thought anyone could work so in sync with each other without a plan. Even with a plan it seems almost impossible._

"N-no way," Lullaby said.

I heard all the guild masters gasp again. "Excellent," Master Makarov said with a smirk.

Lullaby fell on the building where the meeting had taken place, completely destroying it. I smiled in amazement.

"Zeref's devil was defeated so easily," one master said shakily.

"I," another said hesitantly, "I'm impressed." Master Makarov just laughed in glee.

"Amazing," I heard Kage say shakily.

My eyes widened. _I completely forgot he was here._ I then turned my attention back to the figures that were walking out of the dust from the demolished building. I smiled with pride at Natsu, Erza, and Gray as they walked back to us.

"What do you think?" Master Makarov yelled in joy. "Aren't they great?"

"Terrific," I yelled with him. "They're the best!" I ran to them and smile brightly. "You guys were amazing," I gushed.

Erza and Gray smiled at me. "Thank you, Lucy," Erza said.

I turned my attention to Natsu and gave him a smile too. "You were amazing, Aki," I gushed more, "and the way you three worked together like it was the most natural thing in the world was amazing too!" I saw Natsu roll his eyes. My eyes widened and I blushed. _I must sound like some sort of obsessed fan._ I then noticed how beat up and tired he looked. I smiled gently at him. I walked up to him and moved his cloak out of my way.

He gave me a halfhearted glare. I rolled my eyes at him. I grabbed his arm and wound it around my shoulders as I wrapped my own arm around his waist. "What are you doing, woman?"

I smiled up at him. "You've had a rough day. You are injured and have used a lot of magic. I want to help in any way I can, so I'm helping you walk the rest of the way to the hospital," I explained. Natsu rolled his eyes. He reached around me with his other arm and draped his cloak around me too.

I hear all the celebration suddenly stop. I turn us around and see everyone looking at the destroyed building. Everyone is shocked. _I know I saw it happen, but it seemed normal at the time. Now that there isn't a battle, I think everyone will be mad._ I saw Master Makarov try to sneak away.

One of the guild masters suddenly yelled, "The regular meeting site has crumbled to dust!"

Erza, Gray, Happy, and Master started running. I was about to run, but stopped when I realized that Natsu hadn't moved. I looked at the guild masters with a bit of fear. "Let's go, Aki," I said quietly. The guild masters suddenly turned to us and glared. I shrank back from them. I tried to pull Natsu in the direction that the others went. "Please, Natsu," I begged as the guild masters got closer.

I looked up at Natsu, but his attention was on the guild masters. He suddenly glared at them. Every one of them stopped. I could see fear in various degrees in all of them. Some started running in the opposite direction, others froze, and two of them seemed relatively calm. The calm ones were the bald man and the one that was wearing a collar. Natsu pulled me closer to him as his glare intensified. With that, everyone except the two calmer ones ran away from us.

The bald man smiled at us. _Does he ever not smile?_ "Hi, sweetie," he said to me. "I'm Bob, master of Blue Pegasus."

The man with the collar also gave me a smile. "I'm Goldmine, master of Quatro Cerberus."

I gave them a tentative smile. "I'm Lucy," I said. "It's nice to meet you."

Goldmine chuckled. "Maybe we should call you 'Tamer of Chaos' instead."

I giggled. "I don't think I've _tamed_ anyone," I said.

Bob chuckled as well and shook his head. "I think you tamed Chaos over there," he said.

I shook my head. "I didn't _tame_ him," I said. "I became his friend." I smiled up at Natsu. "Right?" I asked. I then saw his wide eyes. I looked at him in confusion. "Aki," I called. _What's wrong with him?_ "Aki," I called again.

His eyes suddenly soften. He looks away from me. "Do what you want, woman," he mumbled.

I giggled and looked back at the masters. They raised a brow at us. I smiled at them. "I haven't known him long, but he seems to say that whenever he agrees to something," I explained.

They chuckled again. "You should try to catch up to Makarov," Master Goldmine suddenly said.

I nodded and smiled at him. "You're probably right," I said. I started walking in the direction the others went, and luckily, Natsu actually moved this time. "It was nice meeting you two," I called back to them. _Who would have thought guild masters could be so weird?_


	15. Chapter 15

**Sorry it's taken me so long to update. For the last two weeks it's been nothing but last minute homework, reviews, and exams. I want to warn everyone that for half of my Christmas break, I will be at my mom's, and she doesn't have internet as far as I know. That means I can't upload chapters. I will when I can, and I'll post the ones I wrote at moms when I can. Sorry this is shorter than usual. Also, I'm going to start writing down fanfics I like and recommend. First one is: The Space Between by Jazmin Gato  
**

~ Gray's P.O.V. ~

It's just plain weird. I watch as Dragneel watches Lucy attentively. She's completely oblivious to it though. She's been pretty spacey today, and I can see the bags under her eyes. _Did she get any sleep last night?_ I see her stumble a bit. Luckily, she catches herself, but it caught everyone's attention.

She just gives as a sheepish smile. "Sorry," she said quietly.

"Are you ok, Lucy?" Happy asked.

"I'm fine, Happy," she says. "I'm just tired."

"Did you not sleep well last night?" Erza asked. I rolled my eyes but said nothing for fear of getting beat up by both Erza and Dragneel.

"No," Lucy said quietly. She then stumbled again. Her cheeks flushed in embarrassment.

Dragneel let out an irritated sigh. Erza and I flinched and stepped away from him. _Who's he irritated at now? Wait, more importantly, how much damage will he have done before Master can step in?_ Dragneel turns around and walks up to Lucy. My eyes widen. _He's going to hurt Lucy!_ Erza, Master, and I step toward them but freeze when we see Dragneel turn back around and squat in front of her.

Lucy smiles at him as she climbs onto his back. "Thank you, Aki," she says quietly.

Dragneel just grunts as a reply. He hooks his hands under her knees as she wraps her arms around his neck. He stands up and starts walking again. "Go to sleep, woman," he said. "You're no use if you can't even walk by yourself."

She giggled and rested her head on his shoulder. It only took a few minutes before Lucy was sleeping soundly on his back. I couldn't keep myself from staring at them. _Dragneel_ of all people was giving her a piggyback ride. Dragneel _let her_ ride on his back _without_ complaint. Lucy doesn't seem scared of him at all.

I shake my head with an irritated sigh. How can she _not_ be scared of him? He never smiles, never laughs, never volunteers to help, and is almost always glaring at everyone. Yet he does do all that stuff around her. I heard them talking about how she's seen him smile twice. He smiled at Erza, no matter how small, when Lucy was there. I've seen his eyes soften when he looks at her, and just now, he told her to get on his back. It's just not like him.

When I asked why he's so soft on her, he said that she needed someone to protect her. That doesn't explain why he thinks _he_ has to do it. Later on I found out that she has 'episodes' because she was abused as a child, but I've never seen these episodes of hers. That means it must be Dragneel that brings these episodes out, but why is he so soft on her then? Doesn't he like seeing people cower in fear? Doesn't he like people being scared of him? Why does he feel the need to protect her? Why does he care for her?

I turned my glare to the ground. He beat up the entire guild and fought with Master until both of them were in the hospital the first day he got to the guild. He hates us and we stay away from him to keep from getting pummeled. It's always been like this. Even Happy, who Dragneel found and took care of, is scared of him. Then one day, a new girl suddenly showed up. She's all bright and smiley, and Happy acts like a spoiled kid around her. She suddenly gives Dragneel nicknames and talks to him like he's just another member of the guild. Suddenly, he became protective and cared for her. It's just not right. It's not natural for Dragneel to be protective. On top of all that, Erza started to call him by his first name. All because Lucy said he must be lonely. It's _his_ fault thought. He shouldn't beat everyone up if he's mad. He shouldn't glare at everyone he looks at. He shouldn't ignore everyone that tries to talk to him.

That brings up another thing I've noticed. He almost always responds to Lucy. Whether it's a noise, a look, a hand gesture, or actual words, he always gives her a response. Dragneel barely ever responds to Master let alone anyone in the guild. Again, it's unnatural for him.

Dragneel relies on her too. He laid his head on her lap on the train and even complained when she suddenly moved or stopped stroking his hair. He leaned on her when he got off the train since he couldn't stand on his own. Dragneel also leaned on her after his battles with Erigor and Lullaby. Lucy makes Dragneel do unnatural things.

I look at Erza and Master and find them studying Dragneel and Lucy as well. "Natsu," Master called. Dragneel ignored him. _I'm not surprised._ "Natsu, I want to know something," Master said.

Dragneel gave an irritated huff. "What?" he snapped. _Of everything Lucy can make him do, she can't make his a little nicer?_

"Don't you think it would be best to let Erza or Gray carry Lucy?" Master asked. "I know how much you hate being in contact with people."

Dragneel huffed in irritation. "She's light. She'll freeze on Gray and be too uncomfortable to sleep on Erza."

Master raised a brow at him. "Why do you say she will freeze on Gray?"

Dragneel glared at Master. "He has an unnaturally low body temperature," he ground out.

"And what about Erza?" Master asked. Dragneel growled but said nothing. Master sighed in annoyance. "Answer me, Natsu," he commanded. Dragneel continued to ignore him.

"Erza's wearing armor," Happy explained. He was flying beside Dragneel.

"Thank you, Happy," Master sighed. He shot Dragneel a disappointed look. "You shouldn't ignore people when they talk to you, Natsu."

"You sound like the woman," Dragneel grunted.

All of our eyes widened. _Does that mean Lucy lectures him? And he doesn't hurt her for it?_ "So you're suddenly ok with people lecturing you?" I asked.

He glares at me. I take a step back in fear. He huffs in annoyance and keeps walking. "She's not a wuss* like you," Dragneel said.

"What?" I asked in shock.

"She doesn't run away with her tail between her legs like you," Dragneel said condescendingly.

I glare at him. "That's only because you haven't beaten her up yet," I ground out. "You've put everyone else in Fairy Tail in the hospital. It's only a matter of time before you put Lucy there too."

Dragneel whips around and gives me the most deadly glare I've ever received. I flinch and stumble away from him. Master looks disapproving, Erza looks torn, and Happy looks afraid. I harden my gaze and stand my ground against Dragneel for once. I meet their eyes with my own hardened ones. "Every one of you knows it's true," I say.

Erza looks away from all of us and nods. Master still looks disappointed. "What we think is not always the truth," he says.

I glare at him. "I don't _think_ he'll hurt her. I _know_ he will," I said.

"I don't think he will," Happy said. We all looked at him in surprise. He looked a bit uncomfortable but met my gaze. "I'm scared of him, but for a different reason than everyone else. Natsu hasn't ever hurt me. I'm just scared that one day he will or that he'll abandon me. He shows more affection for Lucy, so if he hasn't hurt me, then I doubt he will hurt her."

My eyes widen at this. _He's never hurt Happy? Now that I think about it, Happy has always looked healthy, and any time he got hurt, Dragneel would dump him on Mira._

I heard Dragneel huff in irritation again. I had to stop myself from taking another step back. "What is it, talk about Dragneel day?" Dragneel asked. I glared at him. He glared back, and I had to look away. "Stop being stupid and start walking. Talking about feelings is annoying me," he said. Then he started to walk away. No one said anything. _I still think his kindness towards her won't last._

Wuss – someone who doesn't do something because they are too scared (basically calling someone a scaredy cat)


	16. Chapter 16

**Fanfic recommendation: Keys of Fire by LoneStorm**

 **Sometimes I'm stupid, and I'm sorry for that. I was trying to go by the manga and use it as a reference, but then I realized that I had to change it so much that I really don't need the manga much. Also, I was at my mom's house for the holidays and she doesn't have internet, so I couldn't update. Also, I'm upset that mangahere doesn't let you read Fairy Tail anymore from what I can tell. Sorry for taking so long to update. I know this is short, but I figured I'd sacrifice the word count for actually updating.**

~ Lucy's P.O.V. ~

My eyes shoot open, and I sit up. I look around and see the rest of the guild waking up too. I rubbed the sleep out of my eyes. "What was that?" I asked.

"That was Mistgun," Mira answered. She gave a little yawn. "He doesn't want anyone to see him, so he puts the entire guild to sleep when he takes a job."

"So no one's seen his face?" I asked.

"No one besides Master," Mira said.

"That's not true," I heard someone say. I looked up to see a man with spiky blond hair and dark eyes. He was buff and had a lightning shaped scar on his right eye **(what looks like the left when looking at him)**. He was hearing a purple button up shirt with a collar, black jeans, and a black jacket with grey fur lining. He had a cocky smirk as he looked down on us from the second story. _He must be an S-class mage._ "Dragneel and I have seen him too," he said.

"When did you get back, Laxus?" Mira asked.

I ignore them for the moment when I see Natsu. "When did you get here, Aki?" I asked.

He turned toward me with a raised brow. I smiled at him. He rolled his eyes and sighed. "I was here before Mistgun came," he answered.

"Did you fall asleep too?" I asked. He raised a brow at me. _Is he wandering why I asked?_ "You've seen his face before, right? So what's the point of making you fall asleep?"

He gave an irritated sigh. "No, now leave me alone woman," he said.

I raised my brow. "'No' to which question?" I asked.

He gave me a halfhearted glare. "I didn't fall asleep."

I nodded and gave him another smile. Then I realize that the guild is silent. I look around and find everyone, including Laxus, staring at me like I'm crazy. My cheeks start to burn from the attention I'm getting. I start to fidget in my seat. "What?" I asked.

Someone suddenly started to laugh. It was a very condescending laugh though. I look up and see that Laxus was the one who was laughing. He finally stopped, but gave me a condescending smirk. _What's with his snobby attitude?_ He points at me. " _This_ little girl is the _Tamer of Chaos_?" he asked. "She can't even sit still when people are looking at her. How is she supposed to tame _anything_?"

I glared at him. "I never said I _could_ tame anything. Someone said it as a joke, and it seems to have stuck," I said.

He glared back at me. "I'd watch your mouth, little girl. Once I take over Fairy Tail, you're going to be the first one to get kicked out." My eyes widened. _He's going to kick me out of Fairy Tail?_ He then turned to Natsu and smirked triumphantly. "And you must have sunk low to let a weakling like her control you."

"Lucy's not a weakling," Erza stated calmly.

Laxus turned to her with a smirk. "Oh really?" he asked. Erza narrowed her eyes at him in suspicion. "Let's test your theory out then." Laxus turned into electricity and within seconds was in front of me. Before I even had a chance to move, Natsu stood in front of me as he held Laxus' fist. Laxus laughed. "She really did tame you, Dragneel. How'd you let a weakling like her tame you?"

"Laxus," Master suddenly yelled, "that's enough!"

Laxus backed away from Natsu and rolled his eyes with a smirk. "Whatever," he said. He then left the guild hall.

Natsu turned around and glared at me. My eyes widen. "What did I do?" I asked.

"He's right," Natsu said. "You are weak. You're too slow, physically weak, and you can only call out one spirit." I look down at the ground and bite my lip. Tears fill my eyes. _I know I'm weak, but you don't have to point out all my flaws in front of the guild._ He gave an irritated sigh. "Let's go."

My head shot up and I furrowed my brows. "What?" I asked.

He let out another aggravated sigh and glared at me again. "We're going on a mission," he said. He walked up to the second floor.

"The request board is down here though," I said. _Why would he go up there? The only requests up there are for S-class mages._ My eyes widen with realization. "You want me to go on an S-class quest with you?" I asked frantically. He raised a brow at me. I shook my head. "No, I can't go on an S-class mission. You said yourself that I'm weak. I'd never live through, let alone complete, one."

Natsu glared at me again. "That's why Erza and Gray are going," he sighed. I furrowed my brows. _I know we went on one mission together, but why those two specifically?_ He sighed again. _And what's with all the sighing?_ "Erza is an S-class mage, and Gray isn't that far off."

I smiled at him and nodded. He turned around and started walking to the request board up there. "You complimented Gray," I giggled.

He stopped and glared at me over his shoulder. "Stop talking, woman," he growled. He then continued to the request board on the second floor.

I giggled again and turned to look at Erza and Gray. "Are you two ok with going on a mission with us? I would feel a lot better if it wasn't just Natsu, Happy, and I," I said. _Where is Happy anyways?_

Erza nodded and said, "I would feel much better if I went with you two as well. You aren't weak, Lucy, just untrained. It would make me feel better if I could go and make sure you don't get hurt." I smiled at her.

"I'll go," Gray said. "I want to be there to protect you when Dragneel decides that he's had enough of being nice." I gave him an uneasy smile. _The one time he complemented you, you say he's going to get tired of being nice to me. Of course, he knows Aki better than I do, but I'd still like to think of myself as Aki's friend._

"Lucy," I heard Happy yell. _There he is!_ I turn around and find him flying down from the second story with Natsu close behind. I smiled and opened my arms. Happy flew into me and I wrapped my arms around him. "We're going on a mission to a cursed island," he said.

I smiled down at him. "Are we?" I giggled. "Well, I hope we aren't cursed while we're there." I looked up just in time to see Natsu roll his eyes. I smile at him. "So what mission are we taking?" I asked.

"I would like to know as well," Erza said as she walked over to stand beside me. Gray stood on the other side of me.

Natsu just stared at us. I raised my brow at him. He then walked past us and out of the guild. I sighed. _I thought we got past this no response phase. I guess we'll find out on the train._ "Let's pack and meet at the train since Dragneel won't talk to us," Gray said.

I nodded. "Well, Happy said that we are going to a cursed island, so we at least know to pack for going there," I said.

Erza and Gray nodded and we left the guild. I held Happy while I walked back to my apartment. "Do you need to go pack anything, Happy?" I asked.

"No," Happy said with a shake of his head.

I nodded. When we finally got to my apartment, I walked into my room and screamed. Natsu looked at me with a raised brow. I let out a relieved sigh when I realized it was only Natsu on my bed. I loosened my death grip on poor Happy so I wouldn't squeeze him to death. I gave Natsu a halfhearted glare. "Don't scare me like that," I said. Natsu rolled his eyes.


	17. Chapter 17

**Recommendation: The Witch's Blight by Kesora**

 **I don't know how my updates will go from now on because I now have a butload of school stuff to do. I hope to update like usual, but I can't make any promises. This chapter is what he's thinking. It doesn't mean he's changed his actions toward everyone (besides Lucy a bit). Also, I just noticed that I've barely had Happy in this so far, but I really don't know what to do with him. I'll think of something though.**

~ Natsu's P.O.V. ~

I forced myself not to groan as the train started moving. _Why do we have to ride the stupid train?_ I was sitting by the window with Lucy sitting beside me. Erza sat across from me, Gray was across from Lucy, and Happy was between them. _Why is he over there? He always makes Lucy hold him._ The train suddenly rocked **(I've never been on a train, so I don't know if it actually does that)**. I let out a small groan. I glared at Gray and Erza when I saw their amused smiles. _Once we get off this train, they'll pay for laughing at me._

I felt someone pull me down, but I was too weak to fight against them. _Is it Lucy again? Is she going to do the same thing as the last time we rode a train?_ My head landed on someone's lap. _It smells like Lucy, so I guess she's helping me again._ I felt her hand start running through my hair. It felt so good, and my stomach doesn't hurt as much. I let out a content sigh and got more comfortable. Her legs were like the perfect pillow. I started to doze off when I heard Gray start talking.

"Why are you helping him? All he's done is insult you and make you cry," Gray said. I can tell he's agitated.

"He's actually done a lot to help me," Lucy said. "I don't know if it was on purpose or not, but he has helped me."

"What do you mean?" Gray asked.

"He brought me to Fairy Tail, helped me on my first job, carried me when I was too tired to walk _twice_ , protected me from his own flames by letting me borrow his cloak, and even protected me from Laxus. They're some of my first friends," Lucy said. I can tell that she's smiling.

"They?" Erza asked.

"Natsu and Happy," Lucy said quietly.

I stiffened a little. One, she called me by my name, and two, I was one of her first friends? _She thinks I'm her friend?_ I suddenly felt happy, which confused me. _Why would I feel happy that she thinks I'm her friend? How can I even feel happy on a train?_ Lucy must have taken me stiffening as sickness instead of shock because she started to massage my scalp. I let out another contented sigh.

I must have fallen asleep at some point because the next thing I knew, Lucy was waking me up to get off the train. I immediately start walking to the harbor. _They will follow, and if they don't, they were too slow in the first place._ A man saw me walking his way and immediately moved out of the way, but continued to stare at me. Others soon followed his gaze and saw me. Everyone moved out of my way.

"Is that Chaos?" I heard a woman ask.

"What's he doing here again? Wasn't he here a few weeks ago?" a man asked.

"Hush," someone whispered frantically. "Don't you know that he can hear you?"

I glared at everyone. _That's right. I_ can _hear you. I can hear everything you say. Can't anyone have a little backbone?_

"Is that the Tamer of Chaos?" I heard another woman ask. I forced myself to have a neutral expression. _That rumor's spread around quickly._

"I'd let someone with her looks tame _me_ anytime," a guy says. My blood boiled with rage. I stopped and glared menacingly at him. The color drained from his face. He suddenly ran down the street to get away from me.

"Aki?" Lucy asked from beside me. I look at her and see the confusion on her face. I can feel my glare soften up when I look at her.

 _I watched her glared at Laxus. "I never said I_ could _tame anything. Someone said it as a joke, and it seems to have stuck," she said._

 _"They're some of my first friends," Lucy said._

 _"They?" Erza asked._

 _"Natsu and Happy," Lucy said quietly._

"Aki?" she called again. I raised my brow at her. "Why did you scare him like that? Did he say something that made you angry?"

My eyes widened a bit. _She's doesn't think I did it just to scare him? What kind of weirdo is she?_ "He said something unforgiveable," I said.

Her eyes widened a bit. "What did he say?" she asked.

"Probably that Dragneel threatened you to hang around him," Gray said.

"Gray," Erza warned.

He shrugged his shoulders and glared at the ground. "It's true though," he mumbled.

I glared at him, but said nothing. I looked back at Lucy and found that she was holding Happy again. _When did he get there?_ I let out an irritated sigh as I continued to hear people gossip about us. We finally got to the harbor, and Lucy asked around for someone to take us to Galuna Island. Everyone either ran away or refused profusely because they didn't want to go to Galuna Island or because they saw me. We finally found someone to take us, but the boat was very small. I sat beside Lucy with everyone else sitting across from us just like when we were on the train.

"My name is Bobo," the man said as we made our way to the island. "I'm very happy that mages are finally going to help the island."

"Are you a resident there?" I heard Erza ask.

"No," Bobo said, "but I used to be. Then the curse came. I had to get out."

"So what is this curse anyways?" Gray asked.

Bobo let out a long sigh. He then moved the cloak he had so we can see his arm. Lucy and Happy gasped, Gray and Erza's gaped, and I stiffened. His arm was a dark purple in the dark and looked like demon's arm. _Maybe I shouldn't have brought Lucy on this one._

"This is the curse," Bobo said.

"How long has this curse been on the island?" Erza asked.

"A few months," Bobo said.

"Guys," Gray said. We looked at him and saw his panicked face. "Look behind us," he said.

We looked behind us and saw a giant wave coming. Lucy gasped and rapped her arms around me. _What is she doing? Does she think this will keep us from being hit by the wave? Maybe she thinks I'm in the condition to protect her?_

"Bobo," Erza said.

Lucy had maneuvered me so my face was in the crook of her neck. She held me tighter. "He's gone," she said in shock. _What?_

"Did he go overboard?" Happy asked.

"No," Erza said quickly. "A fisherman would know how to swim."

Then the wave hit. All of us were thrown out of the ship. The water tossed us around, but no matter how much we were tossed around, Lucy never let me go. I finally understood what she was doing. _She is a smart woman._ I wrapped my arms around her as well. We clung to each other until we were finally washed up on shore. Lucy's grip on me slowly started to loosen, but she never fully let go. Then I noticed that she was unconscious. My eyes widened. _She held on to me until she couldn't anymore. Why?_ I looked up and saw the stars out. _It's still night. There's time to sleep, and we can look for the others tomorrow._ I wrapped my cloak around both Lucy and I to keep us warm. She snuggled into me. I chuckled a little. "I'm not a teddy bear, Lucy," I mumbled as my eyes slowly closed.

I woke up because of the light hitting my eyes. I groaned as I buried my head in my pillow. I loved the smell of vanilla on it. I was slowly falling back to sleep when a thought entered my mind. _I don't own anything that smells like vanilla._ I opened my eyes and looked down. My eyes widened when they landed on Lucy. I had my arm wrapped around her as she snuggled into my chest and used my other arm as a pillow. I was about to get up when I saw her eyes slowly open. She blinked slowly before rubbing her eyes. _Cute._ My eyes widened again. _Why did I just think that?_

She looked up and our eyes met. "Natsu?" she asked sleepily.

 _She really is cute._ I stared down at her before unwrapping myself from around her. She looked around, and her eyes widened. _She must be fully awake now._ She quickly sat up and turned to me with a panicked expression. Before she could say anything, we heard a groan.

We looked behind Lucy to see Gray sitting up. He put a hand on his head. "Where are we?" he asked.

"Is everyone ok?" I heard Erza ask. We all turned to see that she was sitting a few feet away.

"Where's Happy?" Lucy asked.

"Lucy," we heard Happy yell right before he plowed into her.

She giggled as she hugged him. "Did you get hurt, Happy?" she asked.

"No," Happy said. He snuggled into her embrace. I couldn't help but remember a few minutes ago when Lucy did the same thing to me. I shook my head. _Why the heck would I think of that?_

I looked around. "We're on the island. Let's find the village," I said.

Lucy automatically stood up and started to follow me. I fought a smile. _This is one reason I like her so much. She always listens to me._ My eyes hardened when I looked over my shoulder to see that Erza and Gray were just staring at me. I glared at them, which got them moving.

It took a few hours, but we managed to find the village. There was a giant wooden wall around the village. "Who's there?" I heard a man ask from the top of the wall.

"We're mages from Fairy Tail. We got a request for help," Gray yelled back.

"Let us see your guild marks," another man yelled.

I growled in irritation. The men shrank back. We showed them our guild marks. They quickly let us in after that.


	18. Chapter 18

**Recommendation: Virtual Flames by MissyPlatina**

 **As I've said before, this story will primarily be Lucy's P.O.V. and I'll do Natsu's P.O.V. more since that's kind of fun and you guys like it so much. There was a guest that spoke about certain people flirting with a certain person, and another person's reaction (you know who you are). I will definitely use that, but not until one of those people's problem is solved (technically both people's problems).**

~ Lucy's P.O.V. ~

As soon as the gate opened, we were greeted by the entire village. I held Happy a little tighter and stood close to Natsu. Erza stood on his other side while Gray stood beside me. Almost everyone in the village had on a light brown cloak with the hoods up to cover their faces. I suddenly felt really uncomfortable, so I took a step closer to Natsu. I saw him look at me from the side on his eye and shift on his feet to stand a bit closer to me. I smiled a little. _He's a lot sweeter than he lets on._ I shook my head. _I need to focus._

After the explanation on when the curse started and the reveal of what the curse did to the villagers, they gave us a house to stay in. Natsu sat leaning against the wall while I laid down right beside him. Happy cuddled with me and immediately fell asleep. _I guess he was a lot more tired than the rest of us._ I looked around the room and saw Gray setting up his and Erza's makeshift beds in the middle of the room. Erza was leaning against the wall looking as if she's deep in thought. I turned my attention back to Natsu. He looked deep in thought as well, but I was too tired to think.

"Woman," Natsu said. I hummed in response as my eyes closed. "We're getting up early tomorrow to look for clues around the island." I hummed again as I drifted off the sleep.

"Wake up, Lucy," I heard Gray call. I snuggled into my pillow instead. "Come on, Lucy." I decided to ignore him as I drifted back to sleep. "Lucy," Gray said irritably. _If I ignore him long enough, he'll go away._

"Would you wake her up, Drag-," Erza cut herself off and cleared her throat. "I mean, Natsu, would you wake her up?" she asked.

I heard someone sigh irritably. "Wake up, woman," Natsu said. I snuggled into the pillow more. "I'm not a pillow, and I _will_ get up so your head hits the floor."

My eyes slowly opened. "What?" I asked. _Why does he think I think he's a pillow?_ I turned to lie on my back and came face to face with Natsu. My eyes widened. "Why are you right above me?" I asked.

He gave me a halfhearted glare. "Why are you using me as a pillow?" _What?_ He must have seen the confusion on my face because he gave a little smile. I felt my pillow move and turn my head to see that it actually was Natsu's leg.

My eyes widened and I sat up quickly. I felt my cheeks flush. "Sorry," I mumbled. I heard Natsu chuckle and stand up. I stood up quickly too and got dressed. Once I was dressed, we started walking out of the village.

"Why do we have to go at first morning light?" Gray mumbled. He was dragging his feet while Erza was leading the way. Natsu and I walked between them.

I looked around and saw that Happy was asleep on a crate. "Wake up, Happy," I called. "Come here and I'll hold you while you sleep."

"Aye," he mumbled and flew into my arms. He instantly fell asleep.

"He's getting lazy," Natsu said.

I looked at him and saw that he was still facing forward. I smiled at him. "It's ok. He's cute and light," I said.

"What if he was ugly?" Natsu asked.

I raised a brow at him. "Well, he is, so there's no reason to think about what I would or wouldn't do in any other situation," I said.

"You're up early," I heard a man shout. I turned and saw that we were in front of the gate. I looked up to see a man looking at us. "Couldn't sleep for fear of the demons in the village?" he asked.

"It wasn't you guys, so don't worry," I called up.

I heard Natsu huff. "I'd say that you slept better than any of us last night," he said quietly. I flushed again and looked at the ground. _He's more talkative than usual. I'm not sure how I feel about it since what he says keeps embarrassing me._

"Before we destroy the moon, we want to investigate the island. Could you open up?" Gray asked.

My eyes widened. "What?" I asked incredulously. "We _are_ going to destroy it?" _There's no way we could destroy the moon._

"Be my guest," the guard said. He opened the gate and we walked through.

As we walked through the forest, I couldn't help but to think about the dilemma we faced. There was no way we could destroy the moon, so there was no way we could complete this request. _Then what are we still doing here?_ "It's impossible to destroy the moon," I stated.

"Correct," Erza said.

"Then why are we trying to figure out how to do it?" I asked.

"For a smart woman, you're slow," Natsu stated. I flushed in embarrassment again and looked away. _Apparently I'm the only one who doesn't know. What am I not getting?_

"I just said that for the villager's benefit," Gray explained.

"What?" I asked. _I really am slow._

"There's something else going on here, and we need to investigate to find out what that something else is," Erza explained. She nodded at Gray. "And nice work on getting out of the village without raising suspicion." _That makes a lot more sense than destroying the moon._

We continued walking through the forest, and I continued to become more paranoid. I moved closer to Natsu until our arms brushed every so often. I glanced up at him and saw that he seemed a little annoyed, so I moved a little bit away from him. A sudden loud thumping noise made everyone stop. I jumped. Natsu yanked me behind him and looked around. Gray and Erza looked around as well.

"What's that?" Happy asked. I hugged him a bit tighter.

A giant rat suddenly came out of the forest and screeched at us. Everyone gasped. Natsu quickly pulled me in front of him so he was between me and the rat.

"A rat?" Erza asked.

"It's huge," Gray yelled. The rat puffed up its cheeks as if preparing to blow something on us. "You're thinking of blowing something at us? Well, with my ice-make shield-"

The rat blew gas at us. It smelled disgusting. I started coughing. _This is the most disgusting thing I've ever smelled. It'll take a long time to get this smell off._

"That stinks!" Gray yelled. "What is that smell supposed to be?" _Let's hope it just stinks and isn't poisonous._ I looked behind me and saw Natsu unconscious on the ground.

"Get up, Dragneel," Gray yelled. "That's just pitiful.

"His nose is more sensitive than most," Erza explained between her coughs. "We need to get out of this stench."

"Fly, Happy," I said. He suddenly flew out of my arms. I turned around and pulled Natsu's arms around my shoulders. I hooked my hands under his knees and lifted him up, so I was carrying him on my back. I started to run after Erza and Gray. I was much slower than them, but I kept running as fast as I could.

Gray noticed that I was falling behind, so he turned around and waited for me to pass him. "Ice-make floor," Gray yelled. The rat slipped and hit its head on the ground, which instantly knocked it out.

"Good job, Gray," Erza said as we stopped.

Natsu burrowed his nose in the crook of my neck and took a deep breath. My cheeks flushed. _Why did he do that?_ I looked around and spotted a building. "Look, there's some building," I said. "Let's make a break for it while we can."

"Let's break this thing's head while we can," Gray said as he starting hitting the rat's head. I raised a brow at him. _It's already unconscious. What's the point of hitting it more?_

"Let's go," Erza said. We followed Erza into the building. My eyes widen a bit. _It's a temple._

"Wow," I said. "This is huge." I turned to see Gray, Erza, and Happy looking around too.

"It's falling apart," Happy said.

"Just what age was this thing built in?" Gray asked.

"There are marks that look like the moon," Erza said.

Gray nodded. "I heard that this island was originally called the Island of the Moon," he said.

"Island of the moon," I mumbled. "Curse of the moon, and a moon symbol. There's something not right about this ruin."

"You're right," Natsu mumbled sleepily. I yelped in surprise and almost dropped him. "You can put me down now, woman." I let go of his legs so he can stand. He unwrapped his arms from around my shoulders but didn't move away from me. I flushed a bit. _Isn't he too close?_

"Lucy, look at this," Happy said. He held up a bone for me to see.

I felt a bit uncomfortable. _Who or what was that bone from?_ "That's really cool, Happy," I said with a shaky smile.

Happy smiled. "Come here and look. I found more," he said.

I started walking over to him and tripped. I caught myself by stomping my foot on the ground. Then the floor broke.

"Lucy," Erza yelled angrily.

I flinched. "I'm sorry," I said as we fell. I felt Natsu wrap his arms around me and pull me to him. He gave me a disapproving look. I closed my eyes and held on to him with a heavy weight in my stomach. _I didn't mean to break the floor._

"What a freakin' weak-willed floor," Gray yelled.

"Since when did floors have any will at all?" Happy asked as he fell down with us. _Can't he fly?_

We landed in a pile of rubble. It was surprisingly soft though. I opened my eyes and saw a black and orange shirt. My eyes widened. I looked up and saw Natsu under me. _He broke my fall._ I scramble off of him. "I'm sorry. Are you ok?" I asked.

Before Natsu could answer I saw Erza glare at me. "We're on an S-class mission," she yelled. "Any wrong move could mean our death. We're lucky we didn't die just now. Think before you get us all killed." I flinch and look at the ground. "We shouldn't have taken you on this mission. You aren't ready."

I flinched again. _"Useless and untrained! That's exactly what you are!"_ My eyes filled with tears at the memory. _"You're only an embarrassment!"_

"I'm sorry," I whispered. "I'm so sorry." A tear slipped down my cheek.

"Sorry? We were almost killed and you say 'sorry'?" Erza asked. **(I know Erza isn't this mean, but they** _ **were**_ **almost killed because Lucy tripped. If they weren't the main characters, they would have died.)** I flinched again.

"Enough," Natsu commanded. He knelt down in front of me and softly pats my head. I quickly wiped away my tears and looked at him. My eyes widened when I saw the soft look in his eyes. "Be more careful," he said. I nodded and gave a tiny smile.

"What's that?" we heard Happy ask.

"What?" I asked. Natsu turned around, and I looked over his shoulder. I gasp when I see a giant monster in the ice.

"There's a huge monster frozen in ice!" Happy yelled.

"Deliora?" Gray asked in horrified shock. "That's impossible! Why would Deliora be here?"


	19. Chapter 19

**Recommendation: The Way We Smile by LoneStorm**

 **Hello! Sorry that I made Erza kind of mean in the last one, but I wanted to make a nalu moment. I hope everyone knows that the italics on the last chapter were either thoughts or memories of what someone said. She won't be mean like that much anymore. I would say that she won't be like that at all, but I can't make any promises. I can't believe I'm on my 19** **th** **chapter. I can't believe so many people like the story! Thank you all so much for your support and patients! This chapter will be in Gray's P.O.V. because I wouldn't be able to write his background otherwise.**

~ Gray's P.O.V. ~

"Gray?" Happy asks.

I ignore him and stare at Deliora. _Why it is here? How could it be here?_ I start trembling in rage and shock.

"Come on, Gray," Lucy says. "What is that thing?"

"Deliora," I ground out, "the demon of disaster."

"Demon of disaster?"Erza asks.

I ignore her question. "It's in the same position it was in back when," I trail off. I glare menacingly at Deliora. "What happened to it?" I yell.

Lucy suddenly places her hand on my shoulder. "Hush," she says. "Somebody's coming."

Erza nods. "We need to hide for now," she says.

We hide behind the pile of rubble we landed on earlier. I sat between Erza and Lucy. I glance over at Dragneel and see him sitting close to Lucy. I glare at him. _He's been nice to her the entire time. He even got annoyed with Erza because of how much she was yelling at Lucy. It was a bit much, but I can understand where she's coming from, and_ Dragneel _of all people stopped Erza and made Lucy smile. When is he going to stop this charade and show her what he's really like?_

"This is the area where the voices came from," a male voice says. I peer over the rubble and see two men. One wore a long shirt with a belt around his waist. He also wore pants under the long shirt, and he had really bushy eyebrows. The other was shirtless with blue jeans and shoes. His jeans had a skull and cross bones. He also had tattoos on both arms and dog ears.

"It's afternoon," bushy brows says. "I'm sleepy." He suddenly looks at the guy with dog ears. "Hey, have you been bathing in Moon Drip? Those ears of yours," he trails off.

The guy with dog ears glares at bushy brows and points his finger at him as if to emphasize his point. Dog ears yells, "I ain't been bathed in nothin'! They're just part of the costume! Figure it out for yourself!"

Bushy brows rolls his eyes. "I was just pulling your leg, idiot," he says. Dog ears smiles after hearing that.

"Moon Drip?" Lucy asks. "Could that be the curse?"

"It's possible," Erza says.

"Yuka, Toby," a woman calls. "It's so sad!"

"Sherry," bushy brows says. Dog ears waves at her.

The girl has her hands clasped in front of her chest. "Some bully went and beat up Angelica," Sherry says.

"That rat?" dog ears yells.

Sherry gives him a little glare. "Angelica is not a rat. She's a hunter growling through the darkness," she says. "She is love!"

"We've found some intensely weird people here," Lucy says.

"They're not from this island," Dragneel adds. "They smell different." Lucy looks at him a little strangely. _When did he start actually sharing information?_

"They don't seem cursed," Erza adds.

"Aye," Happy says. "I don't understand the one with the ears though."

"So we have intruders?" bushy brows asks.

Sherry looks worried. "And it's almost time for the moonlight to be gathered. Why did such a sad thing have to happen now?" She looks at the guys again. "Let's drive them out before Reitei hears about it. Yes, before the moon even appears!"

Bushy brows nods and says, "You're right." Dog ears makes a sound of agreement. "They have seen Deliora. They must not be allowed to live."

"We have to treat these intruders to endless sleep," Sherry says. "In other words, to 'love'."

"That's 'death' you mean," dog ears yells. "We're gonna kill 'em!"

We wait until they left. Once we can't hear their footsteps anymore, we move to stand in front of Deliora. "We could have caught them and gotten information," Happy says.

"It's best to wait until we know the situation," Erza says.

"Who were those people?" Happy asks as he flew into Lucy's arms.

I ignore everyone. "Dang it! What could they have brought Deliora here for?" I ask. I clench my fists and glare at the ground. "Another question is how did they find the place where Deliora was sealed up?" I ask.

"Sealed up?" Erza asks.

"He was sealed up in a glacier on the northern continent," I yell. _Who would be stupid enough to take a demon out of a glacier? And why did they do it?_

"What?" Lucy asks.

 _I guess I have to explain._ "Ten years ago," I explain, "the deathless demon appeared somewhere near Isvan, and my master, who taught me magic, Ur, placed her life on the line to seal it up!" _She didn't just place her life on the line though. She gave her life up._ I hear Erza, Lucy, and Happy gasp. "I don't know what this has to do with the curse on the island," I say, "but someone is planning something that is forbidden." _They can't unseal Deliora. It's impossible, but_ _if they actually found a way to unseal it, I_ will _stop them. I won't let Ur's sacrifice be in vain._ I glare at Deliora. "Reitei, who is he?" I ask. _I won't forgive him. I won't forgive him because he trying to unseal Deliora._ "If Reitei is planning on disgracing the name of Ur, I won't let that happen!"

"This demon was sealed by your teacher?" Erza asks.

"Yeah, there's no doubt," I say.

"So it was originally in the northern continent, but it was transported here?" Happy asks.

"I wander if the demon is connected with the island's curse," Lucy says.

"It wouldn't surprise me," I say. "The demon is still alive." _I wish it wasn't though._

"I'll destroy the demon then," Dragneel says.

My eyes widen. I turn around and try to punch him. Unfortunately, he catches my hand. I glare at him. "No fire mage should get close to that thing! If the ice were to melt and Deliora were to get out, nobody would be able to stop it!"

Dragneel glares back at me. "You think the ice can be melted that easily?" he asks.

My eyes widen. _It can't be melted._ My gaze drops to the ground. "No," I say quietly.

Dragneel lets go of my fist and moves away from me. I feel a hand touch my shoulder. I turn my gaze to see Lucy standing beside me. "Are you ok?" she asks.

I look back to the ground. _No, but I won't tell Erza and Dragneel that._ Instead of answering, I act like I don't hear her. "My master tried to perform a magic called ice shell on the demon," I say. "It's ice that can't be melted. It wouldn't melt even if a mage were to perform inferno magic on it." I look at Deliora again. "But they should know that it can't be melted, so why move it?"

Lucy crosses her arms. "Maybe they don't know. Maybe they came here to try to melt it," she says.

"Why would they do that?" I yell at her.

She flinches and holds up her hands in surrender. Dragneel was between us within seconds. She places her hand on his arm and meets my eyes with uncertainty. "I don't know but," she trails off.

I turn away from her with a glare. "Dang it!" I yell again. "I don't like this! Who would bring Deliora here? And for what purpose?" _He's frozen in ice, and there's no way to get him out! There should be no reason to move him!_

"Calm down, Gray," Erza says firmly. "We need to keep our heads clear and gather more information."

I give a small sigh. "We should stay here until the moon comes out," I say.

"The moon?" Happy asks. "But its still afternoon. We'll die of boredom," he whines.

"Gray, what is this about?" Erza asks.

"I can only think that the curse and Deliora are tied to the moon," I explain. "Those guys even said something about gathering the moonlight."

Erza and Lucy nod. "I get it," Lucy says. "Something's going to happen. They're going to do something. I want to know too."

"It could be vital information to the mission, so it's decided," Erza says. "We'll stay here until the moon comes out and find out what they are doing with the moonlight."

"Wouldn't it be better to go after those guys though?" Happy asks. "We could capture them and get information out of them." Erza glares at him. His eyes widen. "On second thought, this plan is best," he says.

A few minutes later, Lucy was sitting on a pile of rocks with Dragneel sitting on the ground right beside her. Happy was sitting in her lap. Erza was sitting on the other side of Lucy. I was sitting on a pile of rocks facing Deliora.

"I'm sorry, Lucy," I hear Erza say.

"For what?" Lucy asks.

"I'm sorry for yelling at you earlier," Erza says.

" _We're on an S-class mission," Erza yelled. "Any wrong move could mean our death. We're lucky we didn't die just now. Think before you get us all killed."Lucy flinched and looked at the ground. "We shouldn't have taken you on this mission. You aren't ready."_

 _Lucy flinched again. I watched as her eyes filled with tears. "I'm sorry," she whispered. "I'm so sorry." A tear slipped down her cheek._

" _Sorry? We were almost killed and you say 'sorry'?" Erza asked. Lucy flinched again._

" _Enough," Dragneel commanded. He knelt down in front of Lucy and softly pat her head. She quickly wiped away her tears and looked at him. My eyes widened when I saw the soft look in his eyes._ I never knew he could look at someone like that. _Lucy's eyes widened too. "Be more careful," he said. Lucy nodded and gave a tiny smile._

"I went too far," Erza says. "It was a simple mistake and everyone came out unharmed. Please forgive me for snapping at you like that."

"Its fine, Erza," Lucy says. "You're right. It _was_ a simple mistake. A mistake that could have and _should have_ been easily avoided, yet I tripped and could have cost us all our lives. You're also right about me not being ready for a mission like this, but that's why I have the three of you, right? You three can take care of yourselves, and I can count on you guys to make sure I don't die either."

I hear Erza giggle. "That's right," she says. "You can always count on us."

My mind wanders back to Deliora and master.

" _Gray," Ur says with a smile, "do you think you can follow me? My training is as strict as it gets."_

 _I clenched my fists and hardened my resolve. "Yeah," I said. "Do your worst!"_

I hear Lucy sigh. "I know I said to wait, but there's nothing to do," she says.

"Aye," Happy agrees.

I hear Dragneel give an irritated sigh. "Stop complaining, woman," he says.

"This is the first time I've complained though," Lucy argues. _I hope she doesn't complain much more._

 **I'm not going to do the honorifics by the way. I'm American, so I feel strange when writing it. Also, thank you to the guest that gave me some constructive criticism! I'll try to be better at not mixing up the tenses. I'll also try to work on my spelling. If you see anything else that I could fix, please tell me. I'd very much appreciate it. Thank you for the wonderful compliment too!**


	20. Chapter 20

**Recommended: Devotion by RansomeNote**

 **Thank you to everyone for your amazing reviews! Also, you had a great idea, L. I didn't even think about putting a chapter in Mira or Lissana's P.O.V.s. Now I was thinking about putting one from the Edolas arc in Lissana's P.O.V. It's obviously going to be a bit different since I want to put more nalu in it, so we can see what she thinks there. I'd love to hear everyone's ideas for any part of the story.**

 **Warning! A bit of spoilers about Acnologia in this chapter, so if you aren't caught up on the manga, I'm sorry.**

~ Natsu's P.O.V. ~

I sigh irritably. _This is one of the most boring jobs I've been on._ I glance around and see Gray starting at the ground by Deliora. Erza is sitting on the other side of Lucy, who's sitting by me. Happy is in his usual spot on Lucy's lap.

"Open, gate of the harpist, Lyra," Lucy calls. I perk up and look around. _Why is she calling one of her spirits? There aren't any enemies around._

"Oh," a woman says happily. "Lucy, it's been way too long."

"Hi," Lucy says.

"For pities sake," Lyra says with a smile. "You only call on me once in a blue moon."

"But your contract only allowed for three days a month when I can call you," Lucy protests.

"Another weirdo has come out," Happy says seriously. I nod in agreement.

"Huh?" Lyra asks. "I don't remember that." She sits down on my other side. I glare at her. She suddenly looks uncomfortable and moves further away from me. She turns her attention back to Lucy. "So, what kind of song do you want to hear?" _Song?_

"Whatever you want," Lucy says. "I leave it to you."

"I want to hear a fish song," Happy says.

"Then I can sing what I want? Yay!" Lyra says excitedly.

Lucy turns her attention to Erza. "Lyra is a really good singer," she says.

"Mira is an excellent singer as well," Erza says.

"And she sings fish songs for me," Happy adds. _You're the only one that wants to hear fish songs, so of course they're for you._

Lyra starts playing her harp and singing. _She's pretty good._ I can't help but feel relaxed, so I lean my head on Lucy's thigh. _Still feels like the best pillow._ I feel her start running her fingers through my hair, and I relax more. She stops and traces patterns on the side of my neck.

"Are you crying, Gray?" Happy asks. Lyra stops singing, but I don't move. Luckily, Lucy doesn't move either.

"Certainly, one of Lyra's talents is to read the hearts of her listeners and sing an appropriate song, but," Lucy trails off. Her fingers stop for a second. I don't have to wait long before she starts drawing patterns again.

"Gray cried," Happy said. _I don't care. Let me relax._

"I did not cry!" Gray yells. Lucy stiffens under me.

"Don't yell at her," I growl. Lucy relaxes a bit.

"Sing a happier song, Lyra," Lucy said.

"What?" Lyra asks. "If you wanted that, you should have said so."

"Now that I think about it," Erza said, "somebody might come. The plan would be ruined then, so it's best to keep quiet." _Fine by me._

A few minutes pass by, and I'm content. Lucy has been drawing the same pattern on my neck. She sometimes stops but only so she can run her fingers through my hair. "Aki?" she asks quietly. I hum in response. "I didn't know you had tattoos."

"I don't," I say quietly. _Why does she think I have tattoos?_

"You do too," Lucy says. "What do you think I've been tracing this entire time?"

I slowly open my eyes. _I don't have tattoos._ My eyes suddenly widen. _It can't be!_ I sit up abruptly and unzip my shirt. I see swirls of blue across my chest.

"Wow," Lucy said. "It's beautiful." I turn my head to see her staring at my tribal marks. "It looks like it's concentrated on your heart." I look back at my chest and see that she's telling the truth. "How long did it take to finish that?"

"It's not a tattoo," I said.

She rolls her eyes. I zip up my shirt and sigh. I rest my head on her thigh again. "Their tribal marks," I said.

"Wouldn't you have to be in a tribe though?" Lucy asks.

"Yes, but not me. Acnologia has them too," I said.

"A dragon has tribal marks?" Erza asks.

I sigh in irritation and glare at her. _Mind your own business._ I felt Lucy start running her fingers through my hair again, and I relax. "He does when he's in his human form," I answer.

"He has a human form?" Happy asks. I sigh irritably. _I just said that._ I don't answer him.

"I think that's all he's going to say about the matter," Lucy said. Everyone accepts that and stops trying to ask me questions.

I lost track of time, but I know that at some point Lucy sat beside me and use my shoulder as a pillow so she can sleep. _I hope this doesn't become a habit._ We stay like this for a few more hours. Then a loud noise caught our attention and woke Lucy and Happy up.

"What's that sound?" Lucy asks.

"Is it night?" Happy asks as he rubs the sleep out of his eyes.

"The roof is opening?" Erza asks.

"A purple light," Gray said. "Is it the moonlight?"

"What is this? What's going on?" Happy asks.

"The moonlight is hitting Deliora," Gray yells.

"This can't be a coincidence," Erza said.

Gray starts running. "Let's go!" he yells. "We have to find the source of this light!"

"Right!" Lucy yells as she ran after him, and Happy flies after them. I glare in irritation. _She should have waited until I came up with a plan._ I follow after them with Erza close behind. We run up a set of stairs that we find in the rocks. When we finally got to ground level, we see that the light comes from further up.

"Was there always a hole in the roof of this ruin?" Happy asks.

"We have to go further up," Erza said.

We found another set of stairs and ran up those too. We finally found the source of the beam of moonlight. There were men standing around the light, chanting.

"What's that?" Happy asks. Lucy quickly shushes him.

"Are they really gathering the moonlight?" Happy asks in shock.

I stand close to Lucy, so I can protect her if they see us. _Who knows what these guys can do in a fight._

Lucy gasps. "They're trying to hit Deliora with it? What are they trying to do?" she asks.

"It's a Belianese spell chant," Lyra suddenly said from Lucy's other side. "Moon drip."

"You're still here?" Lucy asks in shock.

"I see," Lyra said. "So that's it." I growl in irritation. _Just tell us already!_ She seems to sense my irritation and moves further away from us. "They're trying to use moon drip to revive the demon below us," she explains.

"But that's impossible!" Gray yells. Lucy flinches, but turns her attention to Gray. I glare at him. _Once we get back to the guild, he's going to learn not to yell at Lucy._ "Ice shell is ice that can't be melted!"

"Moon drip is magic that is specifically meant to melt that ice," Lyra explains. "When concentrated, the magic of the moon has the power to dispel any magic."

"You're kidding," Happy said in shock.

"What does this have to do with what's happening to the villagers?" Erza asks.

"That doesn't matter right now!" Gray yells. "Those idiots don't know how terrifying Deliora can be!"

"I believe that what the people of the island interpret as their curse is a side effect of moon drip," Lyra said. "When all of the moon's magic is concentrated at one point, it has the power to pollute the human body."

"Then we should stop them before it gets any worse for the villagers and before they can unseal Deliora," Erza said. Erza is about to get up when Lucy held up her arm as if trying to block her.

"Wait," Lucy said. "Somebody's coming." Erza settles back down, and we watch as a man with a white cape and a helmet with a feather on his it came into view. Sherry, Toby, and Yuka were walking with him. _If only I knew which guy was which._

"Dang it, I was up all afternoon," bushy brows says. "Sleepy." Dog ears makes a sound of agreement. "And we never found the intruders," bushy brows said. I move closer to Lucy. I'm so close that my shoulder brushes hers.

"Did they even exist in the first place?" Dog ears yells.

"It's so sad, Reitei," Sherry said. _So that's Reitei._ "It seemed like there were intruders this afternoon, but they somehow got away. I can't speak of love when it's like this."

"Intruders," Reitei said. I see Gray's eyes widen and he stiffens. _He knows who Reitei is._

"Is that guy Reitei?" Happy asks. I sigh in irritation. _Listen to them and you'll find out._

"Have they been able to bring back Deliora yet?" Reitei asks.

"The way it's progressing," Sherry said, "they say perhaps tomorrow."

"That's perfect!" dog ears yells.

"Then the time is almost here," Reitei said. Gray looks shell shocked. "About the intruders," Reitei continues. "I don't want anyone coming here and interfering."

"Yes," Sherry said.

"Eliminate the village," Reitei orders.

"Yes," Sherry said as she starts running to the village.

"Yes, sir," bushy brows said as he ran as well. Dog ears starts to run as well.

"What?' Erza yells.

"The villagers have nothing to do with this," Lucy said frantically. "What'll we do?" She looks at me for the plan. I'm about to answer her when we hear Reitei continue.

"I dislike spilling blood but," Reitei trails off.

"That voice," Gray said shakily. "No, it can't be." I look at him and am a bit shocked at the emotions on his face. His anger is mixed in with his shock. _Maybe he's angry that whoever it is, is actually doing this?_

"Stop it!" Happy yells as he came out of our hiding place. "We're the ones trying to stop you not the village!" Everyone's attention is on us now. _Why can't anyone ever wait until we have a plan?_


	21. Chapter 21

**Recommended: Double Dad Dilemma by LoneStorm**

 **I found a flaw in my one chapter is one person's P.O.V., so I will start doing multiple P.O.V.'s where I see fit. Also, I will not put cussing into my writing. At least for now. Also, as I've previously mention, I'm using the manga as a reference. Here's a message to everyone: NATSU ISN'T STUPID! Reread the mange and see how he outsmarts his opponents and how he solves problems in the fights! He isn't as oblivious or stupid as people make him out to be. Also, if I accidently put Lyons instead of Lyon, please forgive me. Lyon is so close to my last name, that I type Lyons as a reflex.**

~ Lucy's P.O.V. ~

"I know those marks," Sherry says. "They're from Fairy Tail."

"I understand now," bushy brows said. "The villagers petitioned them for help."

"What are you waiting for?" Reitei asked. "Eliminate the village." My eyes widened. _Why does he still want to destroy the village? He knows that we're the intruders!_ The guy with dog ears looked surprised too.

"Huh?" I asked.

"Why?" Happy askes in shock.

"Intruders," Reitei said, "and those that plot with them are all our mortal enemies."

"Why?" Erza asked.

"Dang it!" Gray yelled as he ran past us and at the enemy. "Stop this half-baked ceremony right now!" Gray slammed his hands on the ground. Ice shot up from the ground and was heading toward Reitei.

"Ice?" Shelly asked in shock.

Reitei held out one hand and slammed it on the ground. Ice shot up from the ground and rushed towards Gray's ice.

"He makes ice too?" Happy asked.

The two waves of ice collided. The two ices stopped each other from going any further. They had nowhere to go but up. They created what looked like a giant field of ice crystals. Once Gray and Reitei stopped putting more magic in their ice, the ice field crumbled. Gray and Reitei stared at each other for a few seconds. _Do they know each other?_

"Lyon," Gray said, "do you have any idea what you're doing?"

My eyes widen. _He does know him. How close were they since he knows who he is just by hearing his voice?_

Reitei laughed. "It's been a long time, Gray," he said.

"You _know_ that guy?" I asked. _If their acquaintances, why is Reitei, no Lyon, doing such horrible things while Gray is trying to stop him?_

"What?" Happy asked in shock.

"What's the meaning of this?" Gray asked angrily. _At least he didn't know of the plan._ I felt Natsu nudge me back a bit. _Is he trying to get between me and the enemy?_

I was brought out of my thoughts when Lyon started talking again. "The mages the villagers petitioned to get couldn't be you, could it?" he asked. "Did you come here on purpose, or is this a coincidence?" He smiled at Gray. "Not that it matters," he added.

"Reitei Lyon knows these people?" bushy brows asked in shock.

Lyon turns his attention back to dog ears, bushy brows, and Sherry. "Carry out my orders," he commanded. "I can handle things here."

"Yes, sir," Sherry said. They turned around and started to walk away.

"I won't let you get to the villagers!" Erza said as she ran towards them.

"Stop!" Gray yelled. "Erza, don't move!"

"What?" Erza asked. Magic swirled around her.

I stood up to run to help her. Natsu wrapped one of his arms around my waist and pulled me into his chest. "What are you doing?" I asked frantically. "We need to help Erza."

"There's nothing we can do right now," Natsu said. "If you try to help her, you'll be caught up in the magic as well."

"Happy," Gray called. "Take Lucy and go!" My eyes widened. _They want me to leave them here? Do they think I'll just get in the way?_

Natsu let me go and stepped away just in time for Happy to grab my shirt and take off. "Aye," Happy yelled.

"Wait!" I yelled. I saw Lyon watch us as we flew away. Gray suddenly shot ice at him. Lyon held out one hand and made an ice shield.

"Dang it!"Erza yelled. "I can't move!"

"Happy, you have to take me back!" I yelled. "We can't just abandon everyone here!"

"Erza's completely wrapped in ice magic," Happy yelled. "If we stay there, we'd be the next to freeze!"

"But," I said shakily, "we can't just leave everyone like that."

"If we're killed, who's going to protect the village?" Happy yelled.

My eyes widened. _He's right._ I looked up and saw tears in Happy's eyes. "Happy," I said quietly. I smiled sadly at the ground. "Sorry," I said. "You want to help everyone too, but you know your duty."

"I'm sure everyone will be fine!" Happy said.

~ Gray's P.O.V. ~

"So you created a diversion to allow the woman and the cat to escape?" Lyon asked. No matter," he said. "Those two have no chance stopping Sherry and the others." _Lucy is stronger than he thinks._ I took a quick glance around. Dragneel was gone. _I think Dragneel went after Lucy. It may all be an act, but he does that act well._

"Don't underestimate Fairy Tail mages," Erza commanded. I couldn't help but chuckle a little when I saw her. Ice encased her from the bottom of her neck to below her knees. Her arms were sticking out of the ice. _Sorry, Erza. Don't kill me later._ I kicked the ice she was encased in.

"Gray!" Erza bellowed as she rolled down the hill covering the ruins.

"You were way too impetuous," Lyon said. "Wasn't she your ally?"

"You wrapped her in that ice so you could shatter the ice and her as well, right?" I asked.

"I see," Lyon said. "Thus you sent her somewhere I can't reach her to make the final blow. Even you can make a good decision, boy." Anger flared in me. _Did he just call me_ boy?

I glared at him. "Don't call me that!" I yelled. "We're not training together anymore!" I took a step towards him. "Lyon, you are no longer Ur's student!"

Lyon started to take off his helmet. "Neither are you, Gray," he said calmly. "That's because Ur isn't a part of this world anymore."

I snapped at that. "She gave her life to seal up Deliora!" I screamed. "And you want to destroyer the only thing Ur was able to leave behind!"

"You're confusing your memories," Lyon said calmly. " _You're_ the one who murdered Ur, Gray." I trembled in shock. "How dare you shamelessly go on living?" He glared at me. "I'm surprised you have the nerve to even mention her name." He suddenly shot a giant ball of ice at me. It was too fast for me to dodge, so I was hit.

I flew back and smashed into the wall the others and I were hiding behind earlier. "Lyon," I mumbled.

"What's wrong?" Lyon asked. "Does your guilt prevent you from striking? If so, I'd rather you not interfere. I am going to revive Deliora."

I glared at him. "I won't let you do that," I said.

"Very well then," he said as he threw down his helmet. "We'll face off again after so long." He smirks at me. "Ice make eagle!" Birds made of ice flew towards me. _Really, Lyon? A frontal attack?_

"Ice make shield," I yelled. I gasped when the ice birds flew around my shield.

"Your specialty in ice make magic was always static, inanimate objects," Lyon said smugly. "Whereas my ice make was motion, living creatures. Did you forget my ice can move?"

I yelled out in pain as the birds hit me. I rolled away. "Ice make hammer," I yelled. A giant hammer made of ice formed above Lyon.

He looked up at it calmly. "Ice make ape," he yelled. A giant ice ape held up its arms to protect Lyon from the hammer. Both the hammer and the ape crumbled. "You're such a waste," Lyon said. "You haven't changed. You still have to use both hands for your magic."

"That's how Ur taught me," I said. "Creations made with one hand have bad balance."

"You'll find that I am an expert," Lyon said. "I have long since surpassed Ur's power."

My anger rose. "Don't give me that," I said.

"I should say those words to you," Lyon said. "Have you touched me once with those attacks?"

My anger flared. "Don't even think I'm still like I was back then!" I yelled. I slammed my hands on the ground. "Ice geyser!" Ice shot up from the ground.

As my ice crumbled, I heard Lyon say, "Neither am I." My eyes widen. _I thought I won with that attack. I thought that I would at least hit it with it!_ "I was the elder student and was always stronger than you. I was able to do creation magic with one hand, which you could never do." The dust cleared, and I finally saw Lyon. He didn't have a scratch on him. "Nothing has changed." He held his hand up. "Though our paths may have diverged, our positions remain the same, as if time were frozen in ice!" I looked under me in shock and yell out in pain as a dragon made of ice attacked me from below. "That is why I will melt that ice," Lyon continued. _What does Deliora have to do with who's stronger?_ "So that I can walk paths that had been closed," Lyons said. I cried out in pain as I hit the ground.

 _Ur smiled as he looked at Lyon and I. We had our arms crossed as we glared at each other._

"Ur was always my goal," Lyon said. "It was my dream to surpass her." I looked at Lyon and saw him trembling. "But you destroyed that dream!" he yelled. "I will never get a chance to best Ur head-to-head. However, I do have one final method." I glared at him. "Something that even Ur couldn't defeat." My eyes widened in shock. _I understand now._ My glare intensified. _That doesn't mean I'm going to agree though._ "If I can take down the great Deliora, then I will have done what Ur could not do! I will see the continuation of my dream!"

I snapped. "Are you insane?" I yelled. " _That_ was what you were after? You should know just how terrifying Deliora is!" Lyon's eyes widened. "Don't even try! You don't stand a chance!" Lyon glared at me. I cried out in pain as I was bombarded with ice.

"Don't even try?" he asked. "I don't stand a chance?" The attacks intensified. "Back then, we said the same thing to you! You cannot have forgotten!" My eyes widened. "It's because you challenged Deliora that Ur died! You have no right to even mention the name of Ur! Be gone! Be gone from my sight!"

I don't know how long I was lying on the ground, unable to move. I saw a person wrapped in ice tower over me. "I'm disappointed in you, Gray. That was very reckless. You're lucky you weren't killed," Erza said.

"Where's Lyon?" I asked shakily.

"I don't know. He isn't here anymore, and I don't see any ceremony," Erza said as she picked me up and set me over her icy shoulders. "We have to hurry to the village. Lucy will need assistance, and I'm not sure that Drag-," she cut herself off. "I mean I'm not sure that Natsu will be there with her."

" _No!" Ur said sternly. "There's no way you could beat Deliora!" She glared down at me with her hands on her hips. "You don't stand a chance, Gray!"_

I started to cry. "Stop crying, Gray," Erza commanded. My eyes widened a little. "You're a Fairy Tail mage. It doesn't matter if you lost this time. Get back up and fight until the very end."


	22. Chapter 22

**Recommendation: The Bunny And The Dragon by Lolita-chi (It hasn't been updated in a while, but it's still one of my favorites!)**

~ Natsu's P.O.V. ~

"And that's how it is," Lucy finished up her explanation on what happened. "The ones who will be attacking the village are the very ones who caused all this." I saw the look of determination on her face. _She looks attractive like that._ My eyes widen a bit. _What am I thinking? I've been having these stupid thoughts for a while now. They need to stop!_ "If we can capture them," Lucy continues, "it'll be our chance to question them." All the villagers started to discuss plans amongst themselves.

"All three of them are probably mages, though," Happy said. "It won't be easy to capture them."

"That's true," Lucy said as she looked at him. "We've got numbers, but they've got more fighting mages," she pauses, "or rather, we only have one." She glances at me.

Happy seemed shocked. "Even _you_ don't see yourself as a fighting mage?" he asked.

Lucy suddenly smiles. "I just thought up a really good plan," she says happily. A few minutes later, the entire village was gathered around to look at Lucy's plan.

"What is the meaning of all this noise?" the village leader asked.

"Headman," a few of the villagers said in shock.

"Please hear me out," Lucy said. "The enemy is going to attack soon."

"Enemy?" the headman asked in shock.

"They live in the ruins in the forest," Lucy explained. "They're the bad guys who made those things happen to your bodies."

"I never heard about this," the headman yelled in shock. I saw Lucy twitch. _Is she trying not to flinch?_ "You mean you haven't destroyed the moon yet?" he yelled again.

Lucy twitched again. She held up her hands as if in surrender. I quickly moved beside her to stare down the headman. _He shouldn't be yelling at her._ "What I'm saying is there's no need to destroy the moon anymore," Lucy said. "Once we catch those bad guys-."

"The moon!" the headman yelled. Lucy flinched but stood her ground. _Good girl._ I moved closer so my shoulder brushes hers. She relaxes a little. _It seems backwards. Usually my presents makes people uncomfortable or scared, but it makes her relax. It's a nice change._ The villagers held back the headman and tried to calm him down. "Destroy the moon! Please!"

"Don't worry about him," one of the villagers said to us as others dragged away the headman. "Just do what you can." Lucy and I turn our attention to the man that's speaking to us. "He's still distraught over what happened to Bobo, his son," the man explained. I raised a brow. _Bobo?_

"I see," Lucy said. She looks at him, and I can see determination burn in her eyes. "Leave it to us. We can get this solved."

"Princess," Virgo says, "the preparations are complete."

"Thank you, Virgo," Lucy said. "You always dig holes so fast." She smiled at Virgo.

"Are you saying that to punish me?" Virgo asked.

Lucy's eyes widened. "It's praise," she said frantically. I couldn't help but chuckle under my breath. Since I was standing so close to Lucy, she noticed. "Don't laugh, Aki," she whined a bit. I chuckled a bit more.

"Excuse me," Happy said.

"Yes, Happy?" Lucy asked.

"I don't think this will work," he stated.

"What do you mean?" Lucy asked.

"Do you really think that they'll fall for such an obvious trick?" Happy asked.

"What are you talking about?" Lucy asked. I could tell that she knew exactly what he meant. "My trap is perfect," she says confidently. I chuckle again. _It's cute how confident she is._ "The village only has one entrance, so the enemy has to come in that way."

"I really doubt anyone is going to fall for it," Happy said. _I agree with Happy, but I won't ruin her mood._ All of the villagers agreed with Happy too, but Lucy didn't give up. "Just wait. I'll show you all."

"Lucy, Chaos, something is coming this way," the guard on the wall yelled down.

"Open the gate," Lucy commanded. She stood in front of the villagers. I stood close beside her. "Now come and get us," Lucy mumbled. My eyes widened. Then I smirked. _Feisty._

I turned my attention back to whatever was coming towards the village. I was surprised to see Erza carrying Gray towards the village. I quickly covered up my surprise. Lucy gasped in shock. Everyone in the village gasped as well.

"I'm glad to see that everyone is unharmed," Erza said.

"No!" Lucy yelled frantically. "You can't come in!"

"What?" Erza asked in shock. She then glared at Lucy. Lucy flinched back. "What do you mean I can't come into the village? Is something wrong with it?"

"Stop," I commanded. Erza instantly stopped. I pat Lucy's head gently to calm her down, which luckily worked. I glared at Erza. "You had no right to lecture her before if you can't even see the obvious trap on the ground in front of you," I growled out. Erza started to tremble in fear. _That's right. I can and_ will _still harm anyone when I see fit._

"It's ok, Aki," Lucy said gently as she placed a hand on my arm. I looked down at her, and she gave me a smile. "Erza apologized earlier." She then turned back to Erza with a smile. "I dug a giant hole for the enemy to fall into when they get here," she explained. I sigh in irritation. _She's too kind._

"I'm glad to see both you and Gray are okay," Happy said.

"I'm fine, but Gray is severely hurt," Erza said. _Why is he hurt while she isn't?_

"Did the masked guy do it?" Happy asked.

"Yes," Erza said. She then looked down. "The ice finally broke off."

"You're quite far away from the mage who cast the spell, so the distance probable weakened it," Virgo said.

"We need to give Gray medical attention immediately," Erza said. Virgo dug a tunnel and brought Erza and Gray into the village. After Gray had been treated, we met back up at the entrance to the village. "Those guys haven't gotten here yet?" Erza asked. I rolled my eyes and sighed in irritation. _Obviously they aren't here yet._

Lucy put her hands on her hips. "Now that you mention it, they are overdue," Lucy said. "They should have started for the village before I did, and Lyon should have started before you, Erza." Lucy's brows furrowed as she thought about this. _She's cute when she's confused._ "So if we arrived before they did," Lucy trailed off.

"This is really weird," Happy said. "They're taking too much time."

"What's that up there?" a villager suddenly yelled. He pointed up to the sky. We looked up and saw a giant rat flying in the air.

"It's a flying rat!" a villager yelled.

"What's that? What's the bucket for?" another villager yelled. I growled in irritation. _If we knew what it was or what it was for, we would take care of it right now._

"The sky?" Lucy asked. "That means my trap is useless." I chuckled. _It was cute how excited she was._ A drop of whatever is in the bucket fell towards Lucy. My eyes widened when I got a smell of it. It smelled dangerous. _It smells weird, and I won't let it touch her if I don't know what it is._ "Jelly?" Lucy asked.

"Lucy!" I yelled. I tackled her to the ground, but out of the way of the jelly. I glared down at her. "If you don't know what something is, don't let it touch you especially when that thing is from the enemy," I scolded.

"Sorry," she said shakily. She turned her head away from me and her cheeks turned a rosy color. I couldn't tell whether it was from embarrassment or shame. _Either way it's still cute._

I sighed and pat her head. "I told you to be more careful," I said quietly. We look at where the jelly dropped and see a hole in the ground. My eyes widened. _That would have gone straight through her._

The villagers saw it too, and they started to panic. "Is that bucket filled with that stuff?"

"They can't be thinking of dumping it all on us?"

"What ugliness," I heard bushy brows say from on top of the rat. "I never thought that moon drip could turn people so ugly. It's as if they're all demons."

"They're so repulsive. They could be the children of Deliora," Sherry said. I grit my teeth.

" _Is that Chaos?"_

" _Stay away from him. He's Acnologia's child."_

" _How repulsive."_

" _He's evil. He has no emotions."_

" _He doesn't care about anything."_

" _They're some of my first friends."_ My eyes widen at the last memory. _Lucy didn't judge me, but everyone else did._ I glared at the rat. _What right do these people have to judge them?_

"Angelica, do what you must," Sherry yelled.

"Everybody, gather in the center of the village," I yelled. I started running to the center of the village. I used flames on my feet to fly towards the jelly.

"I can't!" the headman yelled. "I can't leave the grave of my son!"

"Headman, I know how you feel, but," a villager yelled.

"Chaos dragon's gleaming flame!" I yelled. I made a giant explosion in the center of the jelly, forcing it to spread out.

"He blasted it apart?" bushy brows asked. "And saying chaos dragon," he trailed off. His eyes widen. "Chaos?" he yelled in shock. "They hired Chaos on this job?"

I heard the villagers screaming in fear. "Headman!" one man yelled frantically.

I flew back to Lucy and landed beside her. "I have the headman available for punishment," Virgo said.

"Virgo," Lucy said happily. Once everyone was accounted for, we realized the damage done to the village. "We saved the villagers, but they really did a number on the village."

"Aye," Happy said.

The headman was silent. "Bob's grave," he said.

We looked at the grave just in time to see bushy brows kick what wasn't melted over. Lucy gasped. She then did something I've never seen her do. She glared at them so menacingly I saw a few people move away from her. My eyes widened in shock. _Why is she so angry because they kicked over a grave?_

"We have to exterminate everyone who is an enemy of Reitei," Sherry said. _If Lucy is that angry, I shouldn't hold back like before._ "We wanted to be merciful and give you all a quick, painless death, but it looks like we'll have to see the area bathed in blood instead." _They want to see Lucy's blood._ I glared menacingly at them. _Lucy hates them_ and _they want to hurt her?_ My glare intensified. I heard Erza gasp a bit and step away from me.

"About fifty villagers," bushy brows said, "three mages. I'd say about twenty minutes." **(I'm adding some time because in the manga it was only Natsu and Lucy.)**

"I'm here," Happy said. "That makes _four_ mages."

"Those people dared," we heard the headman say, "dared to defile Bobo's grave." He suddenly lunged at the enemy. "I won't stand for it!" The villagers held him back again.

"Let's take this somewhere else! We don't need to get in the middle of a mage battle!"

"No," the headman yelled. "I wanna stay!"

"Somebody shut the headman up!"

"We'll take care of Gray!"

"Now let's scram!"

"You won't get away," Sherry said. "Reitei's orders were to kill everyone. Angelica," she called. The giant rat got up. Sherry jumped in its hands and the rat flew off. "We're going."

Erza and I covered our eyes and braced ourselves against the wind. I opened my eyes and saw that Lucy wasn't with us. My eyes widened. "Why did I get so gung-ho and grab on?" I hear Lucy yell. I looked up at the rat and saw Lucy clinging to its foot. "Lucy!" I yelled. She didn't hear me. I saw the rat fall out of the sky. A giant cloud of dust shot into the air as the rat hit the ground. I stood there in shock.

"That can make a man angry," bushy brows said.

"I'm not angry!" dog ears yelled.

"I'm not talking about you," bushy brows said. I could only keep staring at where the rat landed.

" _They're some of my first friends," Lucy said._

I growled and turned a menacing glare at dog ears and bushy brows. "If Lucy is hurt, I'm going to kill you," I growled. They stepped back in fright.

"I'll go check on her and be right back," Happy said.

"I'll go and help Lucy as well," Erza said as she took off at a run. _Was she running to get to Lucy or get away from me? It doesn't matter. All that matters is that they work with the rat and girl that hurt Lucy._

I shot over to the enemies and punched dog ears. I turned around and breathed fire at bushy brows. The smoke cleared, and I was a little shocked to see that bushy brows was perfectly okay. He looked terrified though.

"That's a pretty savage fire attack," bushy brows said. "I have to admit it's a bit frightening to be in battle with Chaos of Fairy Tail, but there's no way you can beat me." Dog ears hopped back up as if he hadn't been attacked. "We were once members of a famous guild ourselves. You can't defeat us so easily. The mage guild in which we refer is Lamia Scale. You've heard of it?" I started to get annoyed. _First Lucy's anger, then they hurt Lucy, now they're annoying me?_ "That's right. The very same guild where Rock-Iron Jura was a member-," bushy brows said, but I interrupted him.

I leapt at dog ears and grabbed his face. I set my hand on fire then slammed his head on the ground as hard as I could. He was out in an instant. "I don't care who you are," I said. I glared at him. I stood up and turned to him. "You made Lucy angry. You work with the one that hurt Lucy, and you annoyed me," I growled. "I'm going to destroy you."

"Wave motion," bushy brows said.

I held my hand out and shot my flames from my hand. They engulfed his magic and disintegrated it. His eyes widen. "My flames can disintegrate anything," I explained. "You're the unlucky waist of space that made me so mad that I stopped suppressing the disintegration." I lunged at him and punched him with a flaming fist. I think he tried to have some sort of shield, but I could barely tell. He was knocked out cold. I walked over to Bobo's grave. I set the grave back up and squatted down. "I don't know why the woman was so angry when your grave was kicked down, but I'll get revenge for you so it makes her happy." I then stood up and started running.


	23. Chapter 23

**Recommendation: Eye of the Fire Dragon by snakeboy33**

 **Dear Nalu 2016, she will be in this. I will not kill her off, and she will react to Natsu like everyone else does. Lucy is the only one he will be soft on and the only one he will have a connection with.**

~ Lucy's P.O.V. ~

"Why did I get so gung-ho and grab on?" I yelled. I clung to the rat's foot as it flew through the air. _I have to do something about this thing! But what can I do since it's so big?_ I started to hit it's foot with one hand. "Come on!" I yelled. "Stop! Stop! You can't just go killing villagers!" That was doing nothing. The rat was still flying. If anything, I was giving it a foot massage. _What can I do to get it's attention?_ I smiled evilly as I came up with an idea. "Well then, how about his?" I asked as I started to tickle it.

The rat stopped flying and started laughing. _That got it's attention._ "Angelica!" Sherry yelled. "What do you think you're doing? If you stop moving your tail," Sherry didn't get to finish. We started to fall. The crash hurt. I think I was lucky and the rat took the brunt of the fall.

I slowly sat up. "Ow," I said. "That hurt." I rubbed my head and looked around. The rat was out cold. "Huh? Where's that girl?"

"That was some stunt you pulled, young lady," Sherry said in a shaky voice. I flinched a little.

 _"You're a young lady, so start acting like one," he said coldly. "Do what you're told. Say what you're supposed to. Get married, and make me an heir. That's what you're for. That's the only thing a young lady is good for."_

"Reitei will never trust me again after this," she said. "He'll never love me!"

"Love?" I asked in shock. _She's in love with Lyon?_

"And on top of that Angelica," she cried. I felt a bit bad. I didn't mean to make her cry. I shook my head. _No, I can't feel bad for the enemy. They're trying to kill innocent people and even disrespected Bobo's grave by kicking it over._ "I'll never forgive you!" she yelled.

"That's fine with me!" I yelled back. "Come at me!"

She held her hand out in my direction. _What is she doing?_ Then I started to hear creaking noises. The tree close to her came to life. "Wood doll!" Sherry yelled.

"Huh?" I asked in shock. "The tree is moving?"

"Now," Sherry yelled. The tree started attacking me. I jumped out og the way, but it was extremely difficult since the ground was breaking as well. _I have to make sure I don't get hit my the doll or the debree, and I have to make sure I don't get hurt moving around._

I grabbed Taurus' key and held it out. "Open, gate of the golden bull, Taurus!" I yelled.

"Moo!" Taurus yelled as he sliced the tree in half.

"She's a celestial mage?" Sherry asked in shock. "And she can open one of the twelve golden gates?" _I can actually open four, but you don't need to know that._

"Nice going, Taurus!" I said happily.

He turned around to look at me. "Lucy, your utters are the best!"

"You must be quite the loose woman if you force your celestial spirits to say such things for your own pleasure," Sherry said.

"I don't force him, and I get no pleasure out of it," I yell.

"But I pity any celestial mage who pits herself against me," Sherry said with a smile.

"Taurus, get her!" I yelled. Taurus charged at her, but he then stopped and turned to face me. _What is he doing?_ "What?" I asked. I just barely got out of the way of his ax. _What is he doing? Why is he attacking me?_ "Wait a second, Taurus! What's wrong with you?"

Taurus grabbed my neck and slammed me to the ground. I couldn't breathe. "Lucy, I can't move my body," he said. I pulled on his hand to get it off my neck, but Taurus wouldn't budge. _What does he mean he can't move his body? Wasn't he just moving it?_ "With my magic doll attacks, I can control anything that isn't human," Sherry explained. "And that includes celestial spirits. They aren't human after all."

"Th-that's," I stuttered. I was having a hard time breathing.

 _"I should kill you right now so I don't have to deal with you anymore. You're a pain, a waist of space, and a waist of money." The hand around my neck squeezed tighter. "No, I'll keep you. I can get all the money you wasted back by marrying you off."_

I started trembling, and I squeezed my eyes shut. _This is Taurus. It's not him. This is Taurus._ I used that as a mantra to continue to think about the current situation. _I wish Aki was here. He always pats my head to calm me down. He's so gentle when he does that._

"Taurus, she looks hot. Rip her clothes off," Sherry commanded.

"With pleasure!" Taurus yelled as he ripped my shirt off. Luckily, I was wearing cloth underneath my shirt, so I'm still decent.

"Are you really being controlled here?" I yelled out in outrage. _He was a bit too eager and quick with that request._

"Please forgive me, Lucy," Taurus begged. "I'm doing this against my will!" I could see the sweat on his brow as he tried to stop himself.

"Close, gate of the golden bull!" I yelled. _If I can close the gate, he won't be in her control!_

"Aren't golden gates opened and closed only through agreement between the two parties?" Sherry asked knowingly. "One can never unilaterally close a gate."

"Tauras!" I screamed. "Please! Close!"

"So this is the best one can expect of a Fairy Tail mage?" Sherry sneered.

"Close gate of the golden bull!" I screamed. _Go back! You have to go back!_ Tauras disappeared through the gate. My eyes widened.

"What?" Sherry yelled in shock.

I stared at my hair in shock. "I did it," I mumbled. "I was able to do a forced closure." _I was strong enough to do a force closure. I was that strong._

"No!" Sherry yelled. "I've never heard of any mage who was able to do that! I miscalculated!"

I sat up slowly, still staring at my hands. "I've grown a little." I start to smile. I turned my right hand over and saw the Fairy Tail mark. _That's right. I'm not as strong as everyone else, but I'm strong in my own way. I'm still a Fairy Tail mage!_ "That's right!" I yelled in excitement. "I am a full-fledged member of Fairy Tail after all!" _I can't call out a powerful spirit or she'll just make them turn against me._ My eyes widend in realization. Then I smirked at her. I held up a key. "I still have all sorts of dangerous spirits I can call on. "Open, gate of canis minor, Plue!" I yelled. Plue appeared in front of me.

"Doll attack, marionette!" Sherry said. _That's right. Make Plue turn on me._ Plue turned around and started to hit me, but it didn't hurt. I smirked at her. _Plue isn't strong enough to hurt anyone._ Sherry's jaw dropped.

"You fell for it, huh?" I asked. I grabbed my whip and attacked her with it. She jumped out of the way.

"Dang it!" Sherry yelled. "She brought out a small fry spirit! Stop manipulation!" Plue stopped attacking me. "Doll attack, rock doll!"

I smirked. "Where's just going around in circles," I said. "I bring out a spirit and wreck your doll, and when you take it over, I close the gate." _I say that, but I still have to find a way to beat her instead of staying in this stailmate. It take s a lot more magic to force a gate closed than it does to open one._

"Wreck?" Sherry asked confidently. "Can anything wreck these boulders?"

My smirk fell off my face, and my eyes widened. "Boulders?" I squeaked. I turned around and started running as the boulder doll tied to smash me. "Boulders?" I asked again. _Wait a second! Do I have any spirits strong enough to break boulders?_ The boulder monster started chasing me. I screamed as I tripped. _I have to keep going quickly or else I'll be smashed._ I looked in front of me and came face to face with the beach. "The sea," I mumbled. "I can call Aquarius here, but," I trailed off.

"You're out of places to run," Sherry said. The boulder monster came toward me. _Water can't break boulders apart. Besides, Aquarius will just wash me away with her attack._ The boulder monster tried to smash me again, so I jumped out of the way. _Wash me away._ My eyes widened in realization. _That's it!_

I held out Aquarius' key. "Open, gate of the water bearer, Aquarius!" I yelled. Aquarius appeared in front of me.

"Aquarius?" Sherry asked in shock. "How did she manage to get such a powerful spirit?"

"Our enemy is that woman!" I told Aquarius. "You hate her kind, right? Get her!" Aquarius rolled her eyes. "Are you still giving me attitude?" I asked. "Please just take her out," I said.

"You're as annoying as ever," Aquarius said. "Leave me out of this."

"Doll attack, marionette," Sherry said. I smirked a bit. _This will work in my favor no matter what._ Sherry laughed. "Now you can't use Aquarius," she said trumphantly. _Use Aquarius? What does she think I think they are? Tools?_ "Just send her back."

"No," I said. "Not her. I'd never throw away my trump card." _It doesn't matter who she attacks. She'll sweep both of us away._

"What?"Sherry asked in shock. Then she smirked. "Then I guess you don't mind being shattered to pieces by the power of the sea! Aquarius, send that woman into her next life!" _Aquarius doesn't like to be bossed around._

"I was going to do that anyway!" Aquarius yelled. She sent a tidal wave at me. I was swept away.

I heard Sherry laugh. "She really is a fool," she said. "Huh?" _Just as I thought. She was swept away too._

I heard Aquarius laugh. "Forced closure," Aquarius said. "Big deal. I can close my gate any time I please, fool." Then Aquarius went back through her gate.

I slowly stood up. "Aquarius sends her tidal waves against friends and enemies alike," I explained.

"Eh?"Sherry said. "I was too overconfident." We stumbled around, trying to get balanced after Aquarius' attack. "But she didn't take down my rock doll."

"Yeah, what about it?" I asked. "A puppet only moves when the puppeteer can make it move. In other words, I don't need to defeat your rock doll as long as you're too dizzy to manipulate it," I explained.

"You," Sherry trailed off. We finally got enough balance back to turn around and try to hit each other.

"That's what it means to be a Fairy Tail mage," I said. _I may not be as physically strong as everyone else, but I'm definitely smart enough to get myself out of tight situations._

"Oh yeah?" Sherry sneered. "Playing for a draw?"

"A draw?" I asked. "I won this match."

"Don't spout nonsense," Sherry said. "You're just as dizzy as I am!"

"Think so?" I asked. "Then let's try this!" I stuck my arm out beside me and closelined her.

"How could she defeat me?" Sherry asked in shock as she fell on the beach. I smiled happily. _I beat her without anyone's help._ "Even if the light in my soul were to be snuffed out, I will never by untrue in my love for Reitei," Sherry said.

"You aren't dying," I said with a wink. "Quit being a drama queen."

"Angelica," Sheey called, "avenge me."

I heard the rat as it jumped out of the forest. I turned to see it hurtling towards me. "Huh?" I asked in shock. "You mean the rat wasn't a doll attack?" I fell to my knees. _Oh on. My legs refuse to work. I'm going to be crushed. I'm going to die._ Terror consumed me as I watched the rat get closer. I screamed and covered my head. Then the most unexpected thing happened. Erza attacked the rat and saved me. "Erza!" I yelled in relief. Then she glared at me. I flinched back. _What did I do this time?_

"That was very irresponsible," Erza asked in an ominously quiet voice. I nod my head.

"All right, Lucy," I heard Happy say. "You're ok." I looked around and saw Happy flying toward us. I smiled and held out my arms for him. He flew into my arms and snuggled into me. I smiled down at him. "I was worried about you," Happy said.

"I'm sorry I worried you," I said as I hugged him.

Erza sighed. "Let's go find the villagers and check on Gray," she said.

"Ok," I said as I stood up shakily.


	24. If your really like my fanfic, read this

**Hello! This is most likely going to be the only author's note I'm ever going to do. Anyways, I've been informed by Rapunzel3 that some websites are taking fanfiction from and posting it on their own website** _ **WITHOUT THE AUTHOR'S CONCENT!**_ **There is** _ **NO**_ **excuse or explanation that anyone can give for this! I checked and found that they were in fact stealing** _ **MY**_ **work as well as** _ **ALL THE OTHER AUTHOR'S WORK!**_ **I'm going to give a list I have found to be true in** _ **STEELING MY WORK**_ **, and authors on this site, go see for yourself that our work is being stolen! The list is:**

 **talkfictions . com (I checked)**

 **fictionavenue . org(I checked)**

 **thanfiction . org (I checked)**

 **hmofiction . org (I checked)**

 **Don't add the spaces. This was the only way i could get it to show up on the site.**

 **If you use one of these sites, know that what they have is** _ **STOLEN**_ **! If there's any other website that people go to for this fanfic, it's stolen too! I post on and no other site!**


	25. Chapter 24

**Recommendations: With A Little Love by RansomeNote**

 **TigerArrowgirl, you're smart. You catch on fast. Sorry it took me so long to update, but I was put off from writing for a few day, and I had lots of homework and projects due. Also, my friend Nonotaku is translating this story to French and posting it at some point in time. Lastly, when it's in a flashback, it will be italicized and thoughts in the flashback will also be italicized.**

~ Gray's P.O.V. ~

My eyes snapped open. I quickly sat up and looked around. There were barrels and crates everywhere. I furrowed my brows. Standing up, I looked out of the tent I was in. "Where am I?" I asked. I started to walk around outside. _Where's the rest of the team? Actually, where's the village?_

"You're awake," a woman's voice called. I turned around to see one of the women from the village smiling at me. "I'm so glad. I guess you're pretty surprised, huh? We're in a place a ways away from the village," she explained. "We normally store our supplies here. We," she paused, "lost out village yesterday, so everybody evacuated to here."

My eyes widened in shock. "You lost your village?" I asked. _How did they lose their entire village?_

 _"Eliminate the village," Lyon said._

My eyes widened in realization. _Lyon had them destroy the village. They lost their homes because of Lyon._ _Lyon, you creep! You really did it, didn't you?_ My chest suddenly throbbed. I grunt in pain and put one of my hands on my chest.

The villager apparently wasn't done talking though. "But thanks to Lucy, Erza, and Chaos nobody was hurt. At least all our lives were saved."

"Are they here now?" I asked.

"Yes," she said, "everyone besides Chaos. They wanted me to ask you to go to their tent if you were to wake up."

I nodded. "Alright," I said. She directed me to my team's tent. I let myself in. Erza sat on a crate with her legs crossed and hands clasped together and on her lap in a businesslike manner. I flinched back a little bit when I saw the glare she was directing my way. _What did I do to make her that angry? Oh yeah, I pushed her down a hill._ I gave her an awkward wave. "Hey, Erza," I said hesitantly.

"Weren't you supposed to _stop_ them Gray?" Erza asked. I glared down at the floor. Shame flooded through me. "I'm too disappointed for words." Erza let out a short, aggravated sigh. I looked up at Erza and saw her eyes closed. I saw Lucy sitting beside her, looking at the ground with a little frown as she held Happy close to her.

My eyes widened in sudden realization. "Where's Dragneel?" _How could I forget to check where_ he _is?_

Erza glared at me again. "That what I want to know," she hissed. I flinch a little. _Didn't she see him after I did? Why am I getting in trouble if she couldn't keep track of him?_ That thought made a bit of anger flare up in me. Erza save another frustrated sigh. She stood up and started walking towards the entrance of the tent. "Gray, I'm going out in search of Natsu," she said.

"I'm going too," Lucy said quickly as she stood up.

I shook my head. "Why are we even going to look for him? We all know that he can take care of himself," I said.

Erza spun around with her glare from earlier back in place. "It's true that he can take care of himself, but he's still a comrade," she said.

I inhaled sharply and stared at her with wide eyes. "You think he's a comrade?" I asked quietly. _Why is she starting to think so highly of Dragneel? She practically thought of him as a threat to the guild until the Lullaby incident._

"He's a member of Fairy Tail, isn't he?" Erza asked calmly.

My eyes widened even more. My shock turned into anger. "He could have fooled me," I growled out. "He hates everyone. He hates the guild. He's never even at the guild unless he's getting a request. He puts anyone that annoys him in the hospital. He doesn't act like a member of Fairy Tail."

"From what I've seen, you just described Laxus too," Lucy suddenly said.

I turned around and stared at her with wide eyes. _She's right._ I couldn't think of anything else to say, so she walked past Erza and I. I turned to watch her leave. I saw Erza stand there with wide eyes as well. _Looks like she still doesn't think as highly of Dragneel as she makes others think._ Without another word, Erza and I follow Lucy and Happy out of the tent.

We started running as soon as we got out of the tent. _Are we going to search the entire island for him?_ "You know Lyon best, Gray," Erza suddenly said. "Why is he doing this?"

"He wants to defeat Deliora," I said without hesitation.

"He's after something like that?" Lucy asked in shock. "Deliora is already defeated, so why bring him back? What's he trying to prove?"

"Since I've known him," I began to explain, "Lyon's only ambition was to surpass Ur. So now that Ur isn't around anymore, he's trying to be better than her by defeating Deliora, an enemy she couldn't defeat." _He's taking this too far though. Ur would never have approved of hurting innocent people like this. He's become too obsessed with defeating her._

"I see," Lucy said. "I guess that's the only way to surpass a dead person." _Of course Lucy would understand his side of the story._

"No," I said. "There's something that he doesn't know."

"What?" Lucy asked in confusion.

I grit my teeth. "It's true that Ur is no longer with us," I said, "but Ur is still alive."

Lucy and Erza inhaled sharply. "You're kidding?' Happy yelled in shock.

"What does that mean?" Erza asked. "Just what happened in your past?"

I glared ahead of me. _I guess it's time I explained everything._ "It was yen years ago," I said. "Deliora attacked the town I was living in. It took him less than a day to destroy everything."

 _I heard someone walking closer to me. "Deliora," a woman said. "I heard rumors, but they don't do justice to this disaster."_ _I have to make noise. They have to hear me. I made a weak sound of pain. "Lyon, come here!" the woman yelled. "There's a survivor!"_

"Ur and Lyon came across me by chance," I said, "and I was saved."

" _Hey you," a boy with white spiky hair said frantically. "Are you ok?"_

 _They're here. They'll get me out. Then I can get Deliora. I can get that monster. "Deliora," I hissed. Tears streamed down my face as I glared at the ground. "I won't rest until Deliora pays. I will not rest."_

"And that's when it all started," I said.

" _First we'll start with the ice make basics," Ur said. She turned around and smiled at me. "Gray, do you think you can keep up? I run a strict regimen."_

" _Yes," I said. I clenched my fist and stared at her with determination. "Do what you like. If I gain enough power to defeat Deliora, then I'll do anything."_

 _Ur bent down and took her pants off. My eyes widened in shock and I backed away a bit. She then took her shirt off. "What are you doing?" I yelled in shock._

 _She just looked at me with her hands on the hips. "You too. Take off your clothes," she instructed._

 _I saw Lyon taking his shirt off from the corner of my eye, but I didn't want to strip in front of a girl. Plus it's too cold! "Don't give me that! You're telling me to strip on a snowy mountain?" I yelled. "You're a woman, right? Don't you feel any shame?"_

" _Oh no," she said smugly. "Why should I feel shame in my underwear in front of children?" She smiled at me. "If you want to use the ice, then you must become one with the ice."_

 _I eventually gave in and stripped to my underwear. "Dang it!" I yelled. I wrapped my arms around myself to try to keep myself warm._

" _This is where we start," Ur said._

" _You'll get used to it pretty quick," Lyon said with his hands on his hips. I would have believed him if he hadn't been shivering too._

" _You're shivering too, you know," I yelled._

" _Follow me," Ur said. "Now we run."_

" _Hey," I yelled. "I want to learn magic!"_

" _Just run for pity's sake," Lyon yelled. "I'm here doing the beginner junk with you, and you don't hear me complaining!"_

Flashes of my past went through my head. Lyon and I sharing a bath, both of us practicing out magic, eating dinner with Lyon and Ur, having races with Lyon, and sharing a bed with Lyon. _"Listen!" Ur said. "Among the many types of magic, maker magic gives you the most freedom. Ten makers will give you ten different forms. It's the magic that allows for the most individuality. So work and get better, and find your own form!"_ A particularly funny memory came to mind.

 _We were buying groceries at the market in town. Lyon and I were waiting for Ur to get done with her shopping. "Hey, Gray," Lyon said. "How long do you think it'll take us to surpass Ur?"_

" _I don't care," I said._

" _Ur is my target," he said happily. "It's my dream to someday win against her."_

" _I said I don't care," I said. I glared strait ahead of me. "And I'm sick of hearing you say that. All I want to do is defeat Deliora! If I can do that, it's goodbye to the stupid witch."_

" _Who are you calling a witch, you brat?" Ur yelled angrily while hitting my head._

" _Ow!" I yelled. I glared at her. "When are you going to start teaching us the powerful magic?" I asked._

" _I'm already teaching it to you," Ur said calmly._

" _What's so powerful about maker magic?" I yelled. "That won't do anybody any good!"_

" _I told you before," she said. "Maker magic means freedom. You have to find your own form, and then you can get as powerful as you want." She suddenly hit my head again. "And I want to know why you're stripping in a place like this!"_

 _I yelled out in shock. "Dang it! I started this stupid stripping habit because of you!" I heard everyone starting to laugh._

" _Oh, did you hear about Deliora?" I heard someone ask. "They say he's on the move on the northern continent. Somewhere around Brago."_

" _Are you serious?" the man he was talking to asked in shock. "Then Isvan can finally see some peace again," he said happily._

" _Brago," I mumbled. Later that night I decided to go to Brago and confront Deliora._ That's when my world came crumbling down again.

" _No!" Ur yelled. "There's no way you can defeat Deliora! You don't stand a chance, Gray!"_

" _Shut up," I said. "You could never understand." I turned around and glared at her. "I'm going to get revenge for my father and mother!" I yelled. "You got a problem with that?"_

" _If you leave, we're through!" she yelled back._

 _I turned my back on her. I couldn't look at her. "Yeah," I yelled. "That's just how I want it!" I ran into the blizzard. I ran as fast as I could to Brago._

" _Gray!" Ur yelled after me._

" _If I die, I'll hate you forever for not teaching me more powerful magic," I said._

We stopped when we caught sight of the tilted ruins. "Why are the ruins tilted?" Lucy asked.

"What happened here?" Happy yelled in shock.

I stared at it in shock. _Only one person could do this that quickly._ "It has to be Dragneel," I said. "The moonlight won't hit Deliora now."

"Hold it," Erza said. "Someone's coming." We moved into a circle so we could watch from all sides. I listened as people stomped through the forest towards us. _If we were anyone else, it would be easy to get away from them. They're as loud as elephants._

A man suddenly burst through the foliage. "We found them!" he yelled. "It's Fairy Tail!"

Lucy gasped and took a step back after seeing the amount of people behind him. "A whole bunch of weirdos!" Happy yelled in shock.

"Go!" Erza yelled. I glanced over my shoulder at her. _What does she mean 'go'? Does she want us to attack or run?_ "I'll handle the situation here," she said calmly.

My eyes widened. "Erza," I said quietly. _Does she see how many enemies there are? Well, she is an s-class mage, so I'm sure she can handle it._

"Go and finish things with Lyon," she said. I nod and start running. _He doesn't know that Ur is still alive. I'm the only one who can stop him._

 _I was woken up by something warm around me. I felt so safe. Then I remembered that I tried to fight Deliora. I sat up quickly and screamed._

" _Gray!" I heard Ur yell. I was pulled into a warm embrace. I clung to Ur and shivered in fear. "It's alright. It's alright now."_

" _Ur?" I asked in shock when I realized that I left her at the house. "What," I trailed off. "Why," I trailed off again. I was too scared to make a full sentence._

" _Listen to me," Ur said. "Take Lyon and get away from here. I can't fight him and protect you guys at the same time."_

" _Lyon?" I asked. What is Lyon doing here?_

 _Ur ignored my question and continued talking. "He's out cold, but-." I screamed before she could finish what she was saying. I saw Deliora and backed away as quickly as possible. She got up and stood protectively in front of us. "Hurry up and go! I'll take care of this thing!"_

" _Wh-why did you come?" I asked. I had yelled at her. I had told her I'd hate her, yet she came. Why? "Y-you and I," I paused, "we're through, right?"_

 _She smiled at me over her shoulder. "A little while ago, an old friend advised me to think of my own happiness. I never thought I was ever all that unhappy though. I mean, why should I be? I've got two cute little disciples, and I've watched them grow in their own noisy way day after day."_

 _My eyes widened. I was her happiness? Even though I was so mean to her, I was her happiness?_

" _I'd call that happy," Ur said. "I came here to get that happiness back." She stood up, and that's when I saw it._

" _U-ur, no," I stammered. "You're leg." She stood on a leg made of ice._

 _She turned to me and smiled with a hand on her hip. "I lost it, but it's really nothing to worry about. Now do you see how wonderful maker magic is?" Tears started streaming down my face. "If that monster is your darkness, it means that I have a good reason to fight it."_

 _She's saying it like it's nothing. Why? Why does she care that much?_

" _Go," she commanded. "I'll take that thing down."_

" _No," I cried. "I can't go! It's all my fault that this happened!" I looked down in shame. I regret what I did. If only I could go back and change it._

" _It's nobody's fault," Ur said. "It's just one of the trials we have to go through to be happy again." I looked up and saw her smiling at me, and I cried harder._

I ran to the shrine faster. I pushed myself harder. _I will stop Lyon. He doesn't know what he's doing!_


	26. Chapter 26

**Recommendation: Lucy by ScorpionFantasy**

 **Hey everyone! I just wanted to apologize for updating so late! I went to my mom's for spring break, and she doesn't have internet, so I couldn't update. Sorry this chapter is short, but I didn't really know where to go with this. This arc was mainly focused on Gray and his past, so it's kind of hard to figure out how to focus on other characters especially Natsu.**

~ Natsu's P.O.V. ~

I run to the temple as fast as I can. _If the forest weren't so dense and they didn't have that flying rat that could spot me, I would just fly to the stupid temple._ I glared at the foliage around me. _Why does it have to be so dense? Why can't it be spacious enough that I can actually move like the forest I grew up in was?_ The foliage snags at my clothes as I run, and I growl in annoyance. _I want to burn this entire forest down._ I calm myself down a little. _Lucy wouldn't like that. She'd be really disappointed in me._ I shook my head. _Right now isn't the time to be thinking about her. I need to focus on the mission._

I focused back on the temple. _They're using the Moon Drip to thaw out Deliora. Moon Drip is concentrated moonlight. It hits Deliora by going through the temple._ My eyes widened a fraction with realization. _If the light doesn't hit Deliora, it can't be unfrozen. The only question is how to keep the light from hitting it._ I finally reached the temple, but I stopped before I went in. _It's irritating to fight people and try to think of a plan at the same time._ Then I remembered the way we went out a few hours ago. _It's only been a few hours? It feels so much longer than that._

I run up the hill where we last encountered Lyon and his followers. Luckily, everyone was too distracted by their ritual to notice me, so it was easy to slip back onto the stairs. _It would be faster just to fly. No one's here, and I can knock anyone out that has the misfortune to come across me._ I make fire come out of my feet, and start flying down the stairs. _I need to stop the Moon Drip, but it would be wise to get information too. I should have gotten some from bushy brows or dog ears earlier._

Once I finally reach the bottom of the stairs, I look around. I see Deliora and stare at it. _If this thing ever got out, it would try to kill Lucy. I'm not letting that happen._ I turn to the stairs again and go up until I find the bottom level of the temple. I look around and see a bunch of support columns. _If I break all of them on one side, the temple will tilt, which will make the moonlight hit stone instead of Deliora._

Without hesitation, I started to destroy the support columns to my right. _The faster I get this done, the faster I can get back to Lucy._ It only took me a few minutes to destroy the support columns. The temple shook and suddenly tilted to the side. I moved out of the way of large chunks rock. The floors above me crumbled a bit. I looked up and saw dog ears, Lyon, and someone in a mask looking down at me.

"It's him!" Dog ears yelled.

"Cretin," Lyon sneered at me. "What's the meaning of this?"

I glared up at him. _If he isn't smart enough to figure it out by himself, I won't give him the answer._ We stand there and glare at each other.

"How dare you ignore me," Lyon sneered, "you Fairy Tail upstart." _Upstart? He obviously doesn't know who I am._

"What happened?" Dog ears said. "I don't get any of this!" _What's his name again? Never mind. I don't care. He's just someone I have beat up again._

"It seems he has managed to tilt the ruin," the masked person said. "He must have destroyed half the columns that support the ruin, and with the new tilt, the moonlight cannot reach Deliora. That seems to be his plan." _At least someone has a brain._ "He may be smarter than he seems."

Anger rushes through me. Fire shoots out of my feet and propels me to them. I punch the masked person in the face. He's sent flying across the room. _He thinks I'm stupid?_ I feel scales form under my eyes. I turn around and growl at Lyon and dog ears. Their eyes widen and they take a step back. I fly towards Lyon and hit him as hard as I could in the stomach. Lyon crumbles into ice, but that's expected. _I'm glad he has that much of a brain._ I glance around and spot him a few feet away.

"You can't dodge in midair!" Lyon yelled as he directed a flock of ice birds at me. I sighed. _I take my statement back. He doesn't have much of a brain._ I breathed fire and melted all the ice birds. I flipped over and shot fire at him though me feet. _I need information from him._ I felt the stone underneath me start to crack. I flipped over to land on my feet and shot over to Lyon. I grabbed his neck and held him in the air. His eyes widened as he held my arm with one hand and tried to pull my hand off his neck with the other.

I glare at him and tighten my grip on his neck. "You've annoyed me and made Lucy angry. I should end you right now, but I need information. If you tell me what I want to know, I will allow you to walk away." Lyon nodded his head and gasped for air. I set him on the ground, but I didn't take my hand away from his neck. _I can't get anything out of him if he can't breathe._ "Why are you doing this?"

"Why do you care?" he sneered.

I tightened my grip on his neck and growled at him. More scales appeared on my temples. "You're annoying," I growled. He gasped and clawed at my hand as I squeezed harder. "I care because this request annoys me. I care because Lucy was angry. I care because she might be dead right now." I loosened my grip. "Now tell me why I was requested to come here to beat the living daylights out of you." _I need to finish this quickly so I can find Lucy quickly. She might be hurt. She might be dead. Why didn't I find her first?_

"I am Reitei Lyon. The only mage in existence with the ability to defeat Deliora," Lyon wheezed out. I raised a brow at him. _Deliora doesn't seem so strong now that I know that. If I can defeat this guy so easily, Deliora should be a piece of cake._

Before I could ask him anymore questions, something broke the wall beside us. I turned my head and saw Gray. He had bandages around his stomach, chest, and arm. He also had patches on his forehead and shoulder. _I haven't seen him that beat up in a while._ I did see something I haven't seen since the day we met. He met my eyes with determination. _I haven't seen him like this since he tried to fight me the first time he saw me._

"Dragneel," Gray said, "let me be the one to take him out." I raised a skeptical brow and pointedly looked at his bandages. He must have understood what I was trying to say. "I know I didn't win last time, but that won't happen again. There won't be any more after this. This is the final battle."

I narrowed my eyes at him. _Something's not right._ _I'll find out soon enough what's going on._ I dropped Lyon and walked over to Gray. "Where's the woman?"

"Lucy is with Erza back in the forest. They're fighting off the small fry," Gray explained.

We stared at each other for a few seconds. Then I turned around and glared at Lyon. He stood up while we were talking. "Is she hurt?"

I heard Gray gasp. "Um," he stammered, "no, she's fine. I think she has some cuts and bruised, but nothing serious."

I nodded. Then I turned around again and glared at him. "Take him out. If you don't, I will."

Gray met my eyes. "I'll take care of him," he said. I walked over to the wall and leaned against it. _Let's see if he needs my help._


	27. Chapter 27

**Recommendation: Ardor by SanseiAme (I'm somewhat obsessed now)**

 **Hello! I have some explaining to do, so PLEASE READ! Firstly, thank you to the guest who informed me that my fanfic was being translated. I'm happy that you care enough to tell me. I want to clear something up though. I gave my permission for her specifically to translate the fanfic into French. She PMed me and asked for my permission. Also, I've had a lot of homework since the second semester of school started, so that's why I don't update like I used to. I'll also be going to my mom's house for the first half of summer, so I can't update while I'm there. Lastly, L, I love your idea! I'll definitely use that! Sorry this note is so long.**

~ Gray's P.O.V. ~

I watched Dragneel closely as he walks over to the wall and leans against it. He watches me like a hawk. _Why is he watching me like that?_

 _"Is she hurt?"_

I never would have guessed that he was capable of asking that question. _Does he really care about her?_ I shake my head. _I need to focus on my fight with Lyon._ I turned to look at Lyon and gasped when I saw the bruising on his neck. _Did Dragneel do that? Wait, of course he did!_

Lyon glares at me. "I'm surprised by your confidence, Gray," Lyon says.

"Ten years ago, you said that it was my fault Ur died," I said.

 _"If it wasn't for you," Lyon paused as tears streamed down his cheeks. "If you only never challenged Deliora," he trailed off again. "It's all your fault, Gray! You murdered Ur!"_ Lyon's parting words bounced around in my head.

"But you put all your people in danger," I went on. "You ordered the murder of the villagers, and you melt the ice! I will not stand by to see it happen!" I straightened my arms, crossed them at my wrists, and bent my knees. "You and I will receive our punishment together, Lyon."

His eyes widened and his face paled. "That position!" he yelled in shock. "Ice shell? You little punk! Have you gone insane?"

"Turn the people of this island back into their original forms right now, and get your minions off this island," I demand. "This is the chance I'm giving you. It'll be your last."

Lyon suddenly smirked. "I see you're using that magic as a threat," he said. "Pitiful."

 _He thinks I'm not serious? Then I'll show him just how serious I am._ I activated ice shell. Lyon quickly covered his eyes with his arms, but peaked over them to look at me. "I'm serious," I said.

"You little," Lyon yelled. He pulled back his hand to shoot something at me. _I can't dodge right now._ Luck was on my side though. A giant chunk of the ruin fell on his arm, preventing him from attacking me.

"It doesn't matter how many years pass," I said. "Nothing will change the fact that Ur isn't with us anymore. I know that I'll have to take responsibility for it." I looked Lyon in the eyes. "And that's why I'm ready to die right here."

"Are you serious?" Lyon asked in shock.

"Answer me Lyon," I yelled. "Are you going to die with me here or do you still want to live?"

Lyon started laughing. "Try it," he said. "You don't have the courage to die."

I closed my eyes. _We're going to die today. At least I'll die protecting what Ur sacrificed her life for._ I opened my eyes again. "It's too bad," I said. "This is where it all ends! Ice she-!"

Someone suddenly punches me in the face. I fall to the ground and break my stance before I can cast ice shell. I look up, and my eyes widen when I see Dragneel standing over me. He glared down at me, and I flinch and scoot away from him. _What did I do? Why is he so angry?_ "Dragneel?" I ask shakily.

"You interrupt me when I'm about to get information," he growls out. I flinch again. "You waste my time by talking about some nonsense about taking responsibility for your teacher's death? If she didn't care about you, she would have left you to die. The fact that you're still here makes me believe she loved you like her own kid. Then you try to commit suicide? Do you think that slides? Are you trying to run away from your problem? Did you even think about how the guild would feel if you left? Did you think about how Lucy would feel if you left? We haven't known Lucy long, but she still cares about you! She's still your friend! She'd still cry if you died! It doesn't matter if you _think_ she wouldn't care! The fact is she _would_ care! Lucy would cry if you died! Lucy would miss you! What about the other people in the guild? You may not talk to a lot of them, but you're still a part of their lives, so stop running away! Get up and find a way to overcome any obstacles you have!"

I stared at Dragneel with wide eyes. _He's stopping me for the others?_ Before I could say anything, the ruin started to shake. Our eyes widened, and we looked around. My eyes widened even more when I saw and felt the ruin untilted. "No," I said. "This means the light can hit Deliora again."

"Excuse the interruption," a guy in a mask said as he stepped through the hole in the wall I made when I came in. The guy laughed. "Evening is almost upon us. It was time for the ruin to go back to normal."

"Zalty, that was you?" Lyon asked.

I stared at him incredulously. _He doesn't even know what his followers can do?_ I shook my head. _There are more important things to worry about right now._ I look at Zalty. "Who exactly is that guy?" I mumbled aloud.

I heard Dragneel growl. I flinch and whipped around to see him glaring murderously at Zalty. I shivered. _Whoever he is, he won't be alive much longer._ "You made me waste my time tilting the ruin and just fix it?" He growled again. "You'll pay you annoying idiot."

Zalty turned around and ran as fast as he could. "Now we must get the moon drip ceremony underway!" he yelled as he left the room. My eyes widened. _He really is an idiot! It's like signing your death sentence to purposely annoy Dragneel!_

"Gray," Dragneel growled. I turned my attention back to Dragneel. "I'm going after the annoying idiot. You better beat the white haired idiot. If you lose again, I'll have to clean up your mess and find someone else to make Lucy feel safer on missions. I don't want to be disappointed again, got it?"

My eyes widened. _He was disappointed that I lost the first time?_ I suddenly felt confidence flood through me. _Dragneel expects me to win._ I look him in the eyes and give a nod. He nods back before running after Zalty.

"Well, well," Lyon said. "You certainly make a lot of noise."

I turn my attention back to Lyon. "Just then," I said. "When I was about to use ice shell, did you include Dragneel's interference in your calculations?"

"No," Lyon said truthfully. "I never would have imagined a person like him stopping someone from dying." _I didn't either._

My eyes widened. "Then you were actually prepared to be hit by the attack," I said. _He was really prepared to die._

"Indeed," Lyon said, "but I would have survived your attack." My eyes widened. _How is that possible?_ "If I had realized that earlier, I would have told you to go ahead and try it."

I nodded. "I figured that was the case," I said. _He was pretty scared at first, but I could tell that something clicked in his head when he suddenly became confident. I should have known he had something up his sleeve._

Lyon smirked at me. "Even if I was encased in ice, I have friends," he said confidently. I raised a questioning brow at him. "And fortunately for me," he continued, "this island is exactly where moon drip can melt that ice."

My eyes widened in realization. I look at the ground. "That was my mistake," I said. "It would cancel any benefit ice shell would have." _Why didn't I think of that sooner? If Dragneel hadn't stopped me, I would have sacrificed myself for nothing._

Lyon crossed his arms and gave me a smug look. "Now that you know, are you still hoping for your _final battle_?" he asked. "You know that you can never win-."

"Oh, just stop," I interrupted.

His eyes widened in shock. "What?' he asked.

"Just give up on Deliora," I said. Lyon started walking closer to me.

"What nonsense is this?" he asked. "First a threat, now a lecture? Has some dentist pulled all of the fangs from the wizards in your guild?"

 _He asks that even though Dragneel almost strangled him?_ I shook my head and sigh. I then looked Lyon in the eyes. "Lyon," I said quietly, "listen closely." I took a deep breath. "Ur is still alive."

His eyes widened, and he stopped walking towards me. "Ice shell is a magic that turns a mage's body into ice," I explained. "The ice that sealed Deliora's body back then, and the same ice that you are now trying to melt. It _is_ Ur." I spread my arms out in hope that he understands and stops. "Ur became the ice. She still lives as ice." My arms fell to my sides, and I looked down at the ground. "Sorry to have lied to you about it all this time. It was a promise I made to Ur."

" _If he knew that by body had turned to ice, he'd waste the rest of his life trying to melt it."_

Lyon looked at the ground. I couldn't see his eyes. _He's taking it worse than I thought. Does he feel guilty about trying to melt it now? Will he stop?_ He slowly walked towards me. "Gray," he said quietly. He stopped in front of me.

 _I'll try for one more push to make sure he stops._ "Lyon," I said, "that's why you have to give up on-." I stopped as a sudden pain filled me. My eyes widened as I coughed up blood. I doubled over in pain as Lyon drove the sword into me almost to the hilt*.

"I knew that already," Lyon sneered. "Every pathetic fact, but that ice has long ceased to be Ur. Now it's just frozen waste water." _Lyon knew. Lyon knew it was Ur all along, yet he still melted it. I won't forgive him._

 ***The hilt is the handle of a sword/where you hold it.**


	28. Chapter 28

**Recommendation: Ship of Lost Souls by RansomeNote**

 **Sorry that this took me so long to write. I have loads of homework, and it's hard to find the time to write. I hope you like the chapter!**

~ Gray's P.O.V. ~

Lyon ripped the ice sword out of me. "That ice has long since ceased to be Ur," he said. I fell to the ground and clutched my side. "Now it's just frozen wastewater," he sneered.

 _I have to get up._ I tried to stop the bleeding by putting pressure on the wound, but it wouldn't stop bleeding. _I have to get up fast. I'm a sitting duck on the ground. I have to beat him. He can't do this anymore. He's wrong, and I have to stop him._ I struggled to lift myself to balance on my right hand and knees. "You," I pant, "you knew all along." I collapsed and coughed up more blood.

"I can't imagine that even you could believe that bulk that Ur is still alive," Lyon said. _It's not a lie! Ur is still the ice! Ur is still protecting us!_ "You really need to grow up, Gray."

I lifted myself on my hands and knees. I rested my forehead on the ground and glared at him. "You knew," I panted, "and still you." I trailed off. _This isn't the Lyon I grew up with. Or did I really not know him? No, I knew him. He was a good kid. He was a determined and happy kid. It all changed when Ur died. Something happened to him. I have to get the old Lyon back if I want this to end._

I stood up on shaky legs. _I have to get Lyon back. If I have to beat some sense into him, I will._ I slowly turned toward Lyon. _Dragneel expects me to win. Even though he's a jerk, he's still a powerful mage. If he thinks I can win, I know I can. I won't let him think I'm weak._ I lunged at Lyon and punched his jaw as hard as I could. He flew back a few feet, but managed to stay on his feet.

"What?" he yelled in shock. "How can you even move with that wound?"

I sighed and glared at him. _That didn't work, huh? I don't have enough time to try and draw this out enough to knock some sense into him. I have no other choice if I want to beat him._ "That's my limit," I said.

"Huh?' he asked in confusion.

"I was hoping to save your life, but I've reached my limit with you," I explained. I created a bow and shot three arrows simultaneously before he could react. All three hit their marks. _I said I would kill him, but I still don't want to. I made the arrows blunt right before they hit him so they would hurt him instead of going through him._ Lyon flew backwards. Before he could hit the ground, he did a backflip to land on his feet. I was expecting that though, so I was already kicking him in the face by the time he landed. He flew back again and landed on the ground this time. I ran and kicked his gut full force. _I don't know how much he can take, so I don't want to waste my magic if he can take all this. I might as well beat him to a pulp with my bare hands instead of magic._ I punched him in the face a few times before headbutting him.

I watched as he used the wall to help him stand. He glared murderously at me. "He can't do this to me!" he yelled. _Is he talking to himself?_ "I can't let somebody as lowly as Gray cause me to bleed!" _Too late for that._ "I can't let that happen! Ice make, snow dragon!" A dragon made of ice shot up from the ruins and started destroying the room we were in because of its size. My eyes widened as it flew toward me at an unbelievable speed. The dragon aimed for my stab wound, and I cried out in pain. I elbowed it as hard as I could and it shattered. I flew across the room and landed on the ground. "I wish you'd stop making me use my magic power for no good reason," Lyon said with a crazed grin. "I'm trying to save myself for the battle with Deliora after this."

I struggled to stand up again. "You think I'd let that happen?" I asked. _He's way too stubborn for either of our goods._

"It doesn't matter how much you flounder around," Lyon said. "Deliora will be revived! Nobody can stop it now!"

"It's going to," I paused to regain my breath, "be stopped."

"How?" Lyon asked triumphantly. "While you're there groveling on the ground, Zalty is out completing the moon drip ceremony!"

I smirked as I looked at him. "Did you forget about Dragneel?" As soon as I finally stood up, the ruins started shaking. I whipped the blood off my chin as I looked around. "The whole ruin is shaking again," I said.

Lyon smirked at me. "The moon drip ceremony is under way," he explained. "Deliora's ice has started to melt." My eyes widened. _Then Ur is…_ I stopped my thought there. "Well, it seems the game is over. You weren't able to stop it." He suddenly moved one hand up. Ice birds came from below me. Luckily, most missed me. "You have no idea how long I've waited for this! For ten years, I've gathered my people! Building my knowledge!" _Yet you didn't gather your knowledge about your people!_ "Then I finally learned of this island! Galuna, the island that gathers the moonlight!" I slammed my fist on my open palm. "We brought Deliora all the way from Brago! That was three years ago!"

I thrust my arms out on both sides of me, destroying all the ice birds. I glared at Lyon. "You spent three years on a worthless task like this?"

Lyon's eyes widened in surprise. "Worthless?" he asked. He just stood there for a few seconds, letting what I said sink in. Then he glared at me and shot his hand out in my direction. "Those are pretty big words for a piece of turd who spent ten years playing mage as a hobby in some stupid guild!"

I covered my head with my arms as ice slammed into me from above. _A stupid guild? He thinks Fairy Tail is a stupid guild? He thinks I've been playing a game?_ Rage filled me. I glared at him. "I believed what Ur said," I growled. Lyon's eyes widened.

 _"If you go into the western nations, there are loads of mages who are better than I am," Ur said with a smile._

"And that's where I ended up," I said. I slowly lowered my arms as shards of ice fell off me. "At Fairy Tail." Lyon said nothing. "And there _are_ loads of great mages there! I could hardly believe it!" I remembered the time I asked Master about undoing ice shell.

 _"I'd say it'd be impossible. Ice shell's strength is that of the will of the mage that cast it," the master explained with a serious expression. "No matter what magic a third party may cast, it would not be enough to melt that ice."_

 _I shook my little head. "No!" I yelled. "There are supposed to be really great mages here!"_

 _"Well," the master said in contemplation. "There is one, and it is possible," he trailed off. He then shook his head. "No," he said firmly. "It's forbidden." I looked down at the floor. "Melting the ice would be the same as killing that Ur of yours."_

I remember that I'd stopped asking about it after that, but I never stopped trying to find a way to reverse the magic. _All that time looking for a way to bring Ur back, and Lyon was about to melt the ice before I could find a solution._ "Come to think of it," I said off handedly, "what the old man was talking about was probably moon drip." My glare intensified. "And to think that Ur's own disciple is now working to murder her. You're a poor excuse for a human being."

Lyon smirked. "Go ahead," he said. "Say what you want. I've been _living_ for this day." "Think about it!" he yelled. He ran towards me, holding one arm back to form an ice wolf around his hand. "How can a disciple surpass his master after that master is dead? Through Deliora!" _Did he really just answer his own question in the middle of a fight? Is he talking to himself again?_ "If I can bury Deliora, the only one to defeat our master, then I will surpass Ur!"

"Sure it's great to want to improve yourself," I said as I dodged the wolf, "but you took the wrong road and never realized it." He didn't respond and I snapped again. "You think an idiot, blind to reality, can surpass Ur?" I yelled. "You need another one hundred years of training! Go, learn something, then start over!" I made a sword and cut right through Lyon. My eyes widened as he crumbled into ice. _He made an ice clone of himself?_

"Ice make," I heard behind me. My eyes widened even more as I spun around to face him. "Snow tiger!"

I jumped and did a back flip. While I was in the air, I slammed my hands together then thrust them out in front of me. "Ice make prison!" I yelled. The tiger was trapped in the ice prison I made. Lyon's eyes widened. I flipped off the prison. _How am I not in a lot of pain right now? Never mind. I can think about that later._ "This is what you really look like, Lyon," I said. "A wild beast who knows nothing of the real word."

Lyon glared at me. "Laughable," he yelled. "I can tear down your puny ice forms with no effort!" Then he moved his hand out in front of him to make the tiger break through my cage. His eyes widened as it sunk in that he couldn't break my ice.

"One handed ice magic has bad balance," I said as I finally landed on the ground. "That's why it doesn't have the power it needs at critical times." His eyes widened even more and his jaw dropped. I made a cannon and glared one last time at him. _This is what happens when you go down the wrong road. This is what happens when you try to harm Ur._ "Ice cannon!" I yelled. Ice shot out of the cannon and directly hit Lyon. I was knocked off balance by the power, but managed to regain my balance before I fell over. Lyon yelled out in pain as he flew through the air.

My eyes widened when the wall was destroyed as well. _I didn't realize it was that powerful._ I shook my head. _I have to keep concentrated._ I focused back on Lyon and saw him struggling to stay standing. "Ur taught you that, remember?" I asked. After a few seconds, Lyon finally fell over. I sighed. _I hope I didn't hurt him too seriously._ Pain shot through me as my stab wound suddenly throbbed again. I cried out in pain and fell to the floor. My hands shook a little as I used my magic to cover the wound in ice. "First I have to stop the blood flow," I mumbled to myself. _I'll have to get this checked out as soon as all this is over._ My eyes widened in shock when I heard a sudden roar. It was load. It was _very_ load. And it was _very_ familiar.

I slowly stood up. "That roar," I said shakily. "I only wish I could forget it." My heart rate picked up, and I started to tremble. I clenched my fist to try to stop the shaking, but that didn't help at all.

"Deliora," Lyon mumbled in shock.

 _Dang it!_ I still shook, but now it was in rage. _Has it really been revived? That leaves me only one option._ I glared in the direction I remember Deliora being in. _I'll have to use ice shell. That's the only way to stop it._


	29. Chapter 29

**Recommendation: With a Little Love by RansomeNote**

 **Hello! I just noticed something, I haven't even gotten to the Phantom Lord arc (the third arc) yet and I'm already on chapter 28. I hope you guys and girls are ok with that. I'll update as much as I can, but please don't get mad if I don't update often. I have a lot of stuff to do and so little time to do it. There's also the fact that sometimes I'm in a place with no internet connection. Anyways, back to positive things! There won't be much Nalu in this one, but my filler chapters will all be very Nalu and they will be between the arcs.**

~ Natsu's P.O.V. ~

I growled in annoyance. _This stupid masked man is getting on my nerves._ I glare at the masked man's back. _He's faster than he looks. I can't believe I'm chasing down some lackey while I let Gray take down the ring leader. I should have beaten him and then gone back to Lucy._ I clench my teeth as I think about her. _I shouldn't have stayed at the village. I should have gone back to her._ I shook my head. _It doesn't matter now. I just need to finish this up quickly._

The masked guy raised his hand up to the ceiling. I raised a brow. _What's he doing?_ I then heard the ceiling above my head crumble. I growled again and engulfed myself in fire. Any stone that touched the fire was incinerated. The masked man gasped and sped up. I noticed that the stones that weren't incinerated went back to their original places as if nothing happened.

"What's your magic?" I asked as I chased him. He only laughed. I felt scales form on my temples. He ran even faster. _I've had enough._ I shot fire out of my feet and flew after him. As soon as I caught up to him, I grabbed his neck and lifted him off the ground. "What's your magic?" I growled.

The masked man flinched away from me. He then recovered and tried to smirk. "It is one variety of the lost magics. Its enormous power and terrible side effects ensured that this magic was lost to history," he said. "It's exactly as the dragon slayer magic has been lost to history."

I was about to ask more when I smelled something weird. I stood still and concentrated on the smell and where it was coming from. My eyes widened a bit when I realized the masked guy smelled like women's perfume. _No, not a man. This has to be a woman._ My eyes narrowed at the masked woman. _Why would she dress up as a man? Does Lyon know what her gender is? Or is she hiding it from him too?_ My glare intensified. _It doesn't matter. What am I going to do to her once this is finished? She's annoyed me a lot, so I'll beat her up. I can't make her have too serious of injuries or Lucy will get mad at me._

The masked woman starts snickering. I glare at her and tighten my hold on her neck. She grasps my wrist and gasps. I loosen my grip. She sucked in a large breath of air. She glances over my shoulder again. I raise an eyebrow. _I can't turn my attention away from an enemy at such a close range even if I'm choking her._ I punched her in the face. She was out like a light. I turned around to see what she had been looking at. My eyes widened when I saw that the ice around Deliora was melting at a rapid pace.

I stared at the scene in shock. _There shouldn't be anyone on the roof. Gray said that Erza, Lucy, and Happy are taking care of the rest of the small fry. Who could be doing the ceremony?_ The image of the dog ears guy flashed in my mind. I glared and growled lowly. _These pests are so annoying!_ I turned to fly up the stairs, but Deliora's roar stopped me. I gasped and covered my ears. _It's so load. I never knew my hearing would be a drawback in a fight._ I closed my eyes as the ringing in my ears joined Deliora's roar. Once Deliora stopped roaring, it took a few minutes for the ringing to stop. By the time it stopped, Deliora was already free and roaring even loader. I winced in pain, but refused to look away again since it was free now. I faintly heard the sound of water trickling behind me. _Wasn't all the ice behind me?_ I chanced a glance behind me and saw Gray. Deliora stopped roaring, which relieved me. _Looks like Gray won the fight._

"You took long enough," I said to him.

He looked me. "Dragneel," he said in shock.

I stared at him for a few moments. He looked beat up, and I saw ice on his right side. _Hopefully the wound isn't too serious. I definitely can't let him fight Deliora. He wouldn't be able to get a scratch on it if the wound is serious._ I heard weak chuckling from behind Gray. We both turned to see Lyon crawling towards us with a crazed look on his face.

"No…chance…you could do it," he struggled to say. "That…thing…is mine. I must surpass Ur, so I will." _It looks like Gray didn't kill him, but I'm not surprised. Even I don't kill unless it isn't human. It looks like Gray did a number on him though._

"Lyon?" Gray asked in shock. "You're the one without a chance!" he yelled. "Get out of here!"

Lyon completely ignored Gray. "We finally meet again, Deliora," Lyon said as he struggled to stand up. "And this was the one monster who Ur couldn't defeat. Now, I will take it with my own hands," he panted. Lyon took an unsteady step forward. "And now I can finally surpass you!" I raised an eyebrow at him. _He's so dramatic. He's a bit crazy too. I guess the good thing it that Fairy Tail got Gray instead of the crazy one._

I watched as Gray walked up behind Lyon and knocked him out in a single hit to the neck. "That's enough, Lyon," Gray said. "Leave the rest to me." _Is he really talking to someone that he knows it knocked out? And how is he planning on defeating Deliora?_ My eyes widened when he stood in the position to do ice shell. "I'll be the one to take down Deliora!"

"That's ice shell!" Lyon yelled from the ground. _So he didn't knock him out? Why not? It's the smart move to do._ "No, don't do it, Gray! Do you have any idea how long it took me to melt that ice?" Magic swirled around Gray. _This is getting too dramatic for my taste, and didn't I already tell him not to use ice shell? Did my speech do nothing?_ I shook my head. _The one time I voluntarily talk to him, he doesn't listen to what I say._

"This will just repeat the same thing!" Lyon yelled. _He's still talking?_ "Your ice will eventually melt again! Then Deliora will be revived again!" _For a crazy guy, he has a point._

"But this is the only thing I can do," Gray said calmly. _He has a good point too._ "The," Gray paused, "the only way to stop him now it this." I sighed, ran at Gray, and punched him in the face again. He landed in the water, and quickly sat up. "Dragneel?" he asked in shock. I saw fear and panic slowly seep into his expression. "Why did you do that? Do you want Deliora to be revived?"

I rolled my eyes and faced Deliora. My back was to Gray as I glared at Deliora. " _You_ don't have the strength to defeat Deliora. _I_ do, so let me take care of it." I stepped towards Deliora, but stopped. "Also, next time I give you a speech, you better listen. This is the only time I'm going to repeat myself to you. Stay alive for your friends and family. Stay alive because you will make people cry because you're gone, even if you don't think you will. Find a way to solve your problems without giving up your life. You always have someone that will help you. You just have to realize that that person or those people are there."

Gray was quiet, so I decided that I should take care of Deliora. I started walking towards Deliora, and it pulled its arm back to try and smash me. "Get out of there!" Gray yelled. I froze when I saw Deliora's arm trembling. _What's going on?_ I watched in shock as Deliora fractured and crumbled into pieces.

"What?" Gray asked in shock.

"This is impossible!" Lyon yelled. "No! It can't be!"

"Deliora was already dead," Gray said.

"For ten years, it was in Ur's ice having its life stolen little by little," Lyon said. "And all we did was witness the final moments of its life." Lyon hit the ground. "I can't," he mumbled. "I can't surpass Ur."

I turned around and saw Gray start crying. "Thank you," he mumbled. My brows furrowed. _Thank you?_

I was waiting until Gray calmed down to find the others, but I was getting impatient. _I want to get to Lucy, but she'll be mad if I left these two by themselves in their condition._ I heard people running down the steps toward us. _More enemies?_ I turned around and glared up the stairs. I softened my gaze when my eyes landed on Lucy though. She smiled at me and ran faster. I raised a brow when I saw that she changed clothes from the last time I saw her.

My eyes widened when she hugged me. "I'm so glad you're ok," she said. _What do I do? Do I hug her back? Or do I just let her hug me? Why am I letting her hug me anyways?_ I decided not to hug her back, but she deserved some sort of reward for making it through the mission, so I pat her head. I looked down and saw her smiling as she hugged me. I raised a brow.

"Are you ok, Gray?" Erza asked. Lucy sucked in a shocked breath and let go of me to check up on Gray. I felt a bit irritated with that. I shook my head. _Why should I feel irritated?_

"Help him and Lyon back to the village. They both need medical attention. I'm going to check for anymore enemies," I said. I glared at Erza. "Don't let anything hurt her." Erza gulped and nodded her head. I walked up the steps and checked every floor of the ruins. It wasn't until I was at the top that I realized something. _When the heck did I get so talkative?_


	30. Chapter 30

**Recommended: You are Special by Reallyfanofstories (This hasn't updated in a long time just so you guys know.)**

 **This is the last chapter before the filler. There's a bit more Nalu in this one than the last chapter. It's longer to make up for the long wait.**

~ Lucy's P.O.V. ~

Erza, Happy, and I made quick work of all of Lyon's followers. We decided to head over to the ruins to try and catch up to Gray. _Is Aki ok? Well, he's the strongest of all of us, but still. I want to know that he's ok._ My thoughts were interrupted by a loud roar. "What was that sound?" I asked. My eyes widened with realization. "Has Deliora been revived? Were we too late?"

"Lucy, I've seen that light before," Happy said.

Erza and I looked over to him and saw a beam of light going straight down. "Its moon drip," Erza said suddenly. Another roar rang out, but this one was loader than the first. Happy flew to me, and I held him close to me. "We hear Deliora's voice, but the moon drip ceremony continues," Erza continued without a hitch. "That must mean that Deliora isn't fully revived yet." She started running towards the stares that went further up. "Follow me!"

"Isn't Deliora down below?" I asked. _Shouldn't we kill it before it's fully revived? It's vulnerable right now._

Erza looked over her shoulder, but didn't stop running. I was forced to run after her or try to face Deliora by myself. "If the ceremony's still going on," she explained, "we can still stop it." _That makes sense. Stop the ceremony, and Deliora has no chance of fully reviving._ "Now hurry!" I sped up to keep up with her. We ran all the way to the top. _It's a good thing I'm fit or I would have collapsed a long time ago._

Even though I ran as fast as I could, I still fell behind. _I'll need to work on my stamina after we finish this mission._ I convinced Happy to fly so I didn't have to carry him while I ran. We caught up to Erza just in time to see her take out the one person doing the ceremony. The beam of light vanished quickly, and I smiled. "You did it," I said happily. "You stopped moon drip!"

The dog eared man suddenly sat up again. "But know this!" he yelled. _Was he saying something before? I don't think so, but that's a weird way to start a sentence._ "You're too late!" My eyes widened. "The ceremony was already over!" A giant beam of light shot up from where I assumed Deliora was. _We were too late. Deliora was revived._ A roar rang out, and this one was loader than any I've heard before.

"You're kidding," I mumbled. I started to tremble in fear. _What will happen now that Deliora is revived?_

"We need to find the others," Erza said. "We have to defeat that thing before it destroys too much." Erza started to run down the stairs again.

I ran after her without hesitation. _Erza and Aki are s-class mages. Gray is really strong too, so there shouldn't be anything to worry about. Of course, Gray was really hurt the last time I saw him. I hope he's ok. I hope Aki is ok as well. I don't want him to get hurt._ I shook my head. _I need to focus!_ I jumped when Deliora roared again. I ran even faster. _I have to get there faster. I have to make sure they're ok. I can't help much, but I can help as much as possible._

We ran as fast as we could. Well, Erza and I did. Happy was flying with us. _I'm glad Happy is smart and knows to stay with us._ Erza slows down when we start nearing the bottom of the steps. "I don't hear any fighting," she says quietly.

My eyes widen. _Is that a good thing? Or does that mean Gray and Aki are dead? I don't want them to die!_ I ran past her and finally reached the bottom. A wave of relieve washed over me as I saw Aki standing a few feet away from Gray. _He's safe._ I ran to him, threw my arms around him, and buried my face in his chest. "I'm so glad you're ok," I said. Natsu stiffened. I was about to pull away when he started to pat my head. I smiled, closed my eyes, and turned my head so my cheek was resting on his chest. _He's so gentle._ Natsu started to relax a bit, but he still didn't hug me back.

"Are you ok, Gray?" I heard Erza ask. I gasped in shock and let go of Natsu. _I can't believe I was only thinking about Aki when I knew for a fact that Gray was hurt before he fought Lyon the second time._ I rushed over to Gray, and my eyes widened at what I saw. He was beaten and bloody. I was about to try and help him when he gave us a smile.

"Help him and Lyon back to the village," Natsu said. I looked over at him and saw that he had his back to us. "I'm going to check for anymore enemies." He turned and glared at Erza. "Don't let anything hurt her." Erza gulped and nodded quickly. Natsu turned around and walked up the stairs without another work. I watched him until he was out of sight. _Is he angry about something?_ I shook my head and turned back to Gray. He was helping Lyon walk to a boulder. Both of them had smiles on their faces. _What a twist this turned out to be._

"Yay!" Happy yelled. "It's over! It's over!" he flew around everyone with a giant smile.

I giggled. "True," I said. "For a second there, I wasn't sure how this would turn out." _Twice actually. Once when I grabbed the giant rat, and the other was when Deliora was revived._ I watched Gray and Lyon sit by each other and lean on a boulder. "Ur sure was amazing," I said with a smile.

"The s-class quest isn't over yet," Erza said.

My eyes widened as I looked over at Erza. Happy's mood seemed to plummet, so he flew to me. I held him and turned my attention back to Erza. "Deliora is dead though," I said. "Wouldn't that take the curse off the village?"

"No," Erza said. "The curse wasn't caused by Deliora."

"Then what was the cause?" Gray asked.

"The enormous amount of magic that was involved in the moon drip was the cause," I heard Natsu was. I turned back around and saw him walking down the stairs. _Wasn't that a bit fast?_

"That's right," Erza said. "That means the harm to the villagers isn't fixed just because Deliora was destroyed."

"You're kidding," I mumbled. _Then how do we fix them?_

"Okay," Happy said with a smile. "Then we'll just go and fix them!"

Gray lifted a brow. "How're you going to do that?" A few seconds later, his eyes widen, and he turns to look at Lyon.

Lyon shakes his head. "I don't know anything about it," he said.

"What?" I asked in shock. "How could the curse have happened if you guys didn't know?" I asked. _Those people are hurting so much and Lyon and his followers didn't even know anything about it?_ I shook my head and glared at Lyon. _There's no way he didn't know!_ I felt Natsu stand beside me. I relaxed a little, but didn't take my eyes off Lyon.

"When we came to this island three years ago, we knew there was a village. We never interfered with the villagers' lives. They never even tried to see what we were doing, either," Lyon said. My eyes widened. _Then why did they call a guild?_

"Not one time in three years?" Erza asked in shock.

I raise a brow. "Come to think of it," I said, "moon drip should have made the moonlight come down on the ruins every night. It's weird that they never investigated it." _No one can be that oblivious for three years. Someone should have noticed before now._

"Moon drip may have some small effect on the human body, but," Lyon paused, "we ourselves were bathed in moon drip for three years."

I gasped and my hand shot up to grab Natsu's cloak. _Then there's a totally unrelated curse?_ I look up at Natsu. "Aki?" I asked. He looked down at me and raised an eyebrow. "Does that mean we spent all that time on something totally unrelated? I mean, I'm glad we found out about Deliora, but that means we have to do another investigation. Gray is already really hurt." Natsu sighed and pat my head. _I feel like I'm being treated like a little girl, but I feel a little special since he's so gentle._

"Take care," Lyon said. "Those guys are hiding something. Still," he paused, "from here on out, it's guild work."

"But you tried to destroy the village!" Happy said.

"One of the men said that everyone helped because Deliora left them all as orphans," Erza explained. _Did all this happen when I was trying to catch up to her?_ "From their perspective," she continued, "they had good intentions. I see no reason to dwell on the past." Erza turned to the stares. "Let's go."

I let go of Natsu's cloak, and I followed Erza's command. I made sure to stick close to Natsu though. He just makes me feel safer. "What are we going to do about the curse if it wasn't related to Deliora?" I asked.

"I don't know," Erza said. Natsu didn't say anything. _Is he ignoring me or thinking?_

We walked for a while and finally made it back to the village's storage area. We were surprised when no one was there. After a few minutes of searching, a villager came and got us from the storage area. He took us back to where the village had been. My eyes widened in shock. "What is this?" I asked.

"Just yesterday, the village was torn to pieces," Happy said in shock.

 _It seems like everything is back to the way it was before the attack. That must mean the luggage is back too!_ "Our luggage," I said which running to the hut we were allowed to borrow. I ran toward the house we borrowed, but stopped when I saw the village leader sitting at Bobo's grave.

The village head seemed to sense that I had seen him. "Was it you people who returned the village to the way it was?" he asked.

"No," I said. "I can't say it was." _I feel so bad. We haven't even figured out what the curse is, and the village was destroyed._

"I must thank you for that," he said. _Thank us for what? We didn't get the village back to how it was._ "However," he yelled, "mages, when are you planning on destroying the moon?"

My eyes widened in shock. _He still thinks we can destroy the moon?_ Natsu suddenly appeared beside me. Erza and Gray walked over quickly. "It would be a simple matter to destroy the moon," Erza said.

"Hey," Gray said shakily. "Don't go telling him things like that."

"Aye," Happy said.

"But first," Erza said, "there is one thing I need to confirm. Please gather everyone together." We waited a while as everyone gathered around the entrance to the front gate. Erza took control of the gathering as soon as everyone was there. "Let's get this straight. It was after the moon turned a purple color that you all took this form."

The village head cleared his throat. "To be precise, it is when that moon is out that we become how you see us now," he said.

"To summarize," she continued, "it first happened three years ago?"

"I'm pretty sure it's been that long," one villager said. Another villager agreed.

"For three years now, this village has been undergoing the moon drip ceremony," Erza said. "You should have been seeing a beam of light headed straight for the ruins." I gasped and grabbed Natsu's cloak. Erza fell into the trap I set before the attack. _Erza's going to be so mad._ I tightened my grip on Natsu's cloak. Natsu shifted to be a little closer to me, which made me immediately feel a lot better.

"Even the pit trap was brought back," Happy said.

"That's so cute," Gray said.

"In other word," Erza continued as she climbed out of the pit, "something very suspicious was on the island, right?" My grip slackened on Natsu's cloak, but I didn't let go. _She's acting like nothing happened._ "Why didn't you investigate?"

"The reason is," the village head paused. "There's an old legend in this village concerning those ruins and-"

I interrupted him. "But that shouldn't have stopped you in _this_ case," I said. "There were people dying, and you went so far as to contact the guild."

"I'd like to hear the truth now," Erza said.

"To be perfectly honest," the village head said, "we really don't know ourselves. We intended to investigate the ruins any number of times. Clumsy as we are, we'd take up weapons, and I'd gird myself for battle, and time after time, we'd head out for the ruins. But we could never get close!" My eyes widened. "We'd make for the ruins and walk and walk, and before we knew it, we'd be back at the village gate! We couldn't even get near the ruins!"

I gasped. "What do you mean?" I asked. "You couldn't get near them?"

"It's simple," Natsu said.

I turned my attention to Natsu. "What do you mean, Aki?"

"I need some help, Natsu," Erza said. She changed into another set of armor. "We're going to destroy the moon."

"What?" I asked in shock.

Natsu sighed in annoyance. He then leaned over and whispered, "We aren't really going to destroy the moon." He pat my head and walked with Erza right behind him. All the villagers began to murmur about being able to see the moon be destroyed.

"I can assume that you came up with the same conclusion as me," Erza said as she looked at Natsu. Natsu only nodded his head. Erza requipped a lance and stood in front of Natsu. "I need your help to propel my lance," Erza said. Natsu nodded and got ready. Everyone waited in anticipation. Right before Erza started to throw the lance, Natsu hit it as hard as he could with a flaming fist. Everyone gaped in awe as we saw the lance hit. My eyes widened when the sky started to crack. _Don't tell me there's something between us and the moon!_

"The moon didn't break," the villager beside me said. I held my hands out to try and catch the sparkling substance coming from the sky. _If it was dangerous, Natsu and Erza wouldn't have made it break above us, or they would have made us take cover._

"What's this?" Happy asked.

"There was an evil membrane that covered this island," Erza explained as she looked at the sky. Natsu came back down from the watch tower and stood beside me.

"Membrane?" Happy asked.

"Maybe you could call it exhaust generated by the moon drip ceremony," Erza explained. "The gas crystallized and covered the sky over the island. That's why the moon looked as if it were purple."

The villagers started to sparkle, and I smiled. "Wow," I said. "It looks so pretty." I heard Natsu sigh in irritation.

"Now that the membrane is broken," Erza continued, "the original moonlight should return to the island." My eyes widened in realization. _It wasn't Deliora that caused the curse. It was the exhaust! The weird moonlight caused the curse, but what about Lyon and the rest of them? They were in the same moonlight. Was the island cursed before they came?_ The villagers stopped sparkling, but they looked the exact same.

"But they haven't gone back to normal," Gray said.

"Why?" Happy asked.

"On the contrary," Erza said. "They _have_ gone back to their original form." The villagers started to look at one another. "What the membrane changed wasn't their bodies, but their memories."

"Their memories?" I asked.

Erza changed back into her regular clothes. "When they said, 'We change into demons at night,' it was their faulty memories talking."

My eyes widen, and I grab Natsu's cloak. "You don't mean that," I trailed off shakily.

"That's exactly it," Erza said. "All of these villagers were originally demons." My grip on Natsu's cloak tightened.

Gray turned to a villager beside him. "It that true?" he asked in shock.

The villager turned to him in shock too. "Um," he said. "I'm still a little fuzzy on it, but," he trailed off.

"They all had the ability to change themselves into a human form, but they were under the misconception that those human forms were their original forms," Erza said. "That was due to the damage to their memories caused by the moon drip."

"But why were Lyon and his people all okay?" I asked.

"Because they're all human," Erza explained. "It looks like the memory problems are only suffered by demons, and the reason they couldn't get close to the ruins is also because they're demons. The ruins collected sacred moonlight, and demons, creatures of darkness, couldn't get close."

"You've fulfilled my expectations," I heard a familiar voice. Everyone turned to look behind us. My eyes widened when I saw Bobo. _I thought he was a ghost!_ "I was right to entrust this to you." He raised his hand. "Mages, I thank you."

"It's a ghost!" I yell. I pull Natsu's cloak around me and step closer to him. He gives an annoyed sigh, but doesn't protest. Instead, he pulls me closer to him, and I instantly feel better. _This is happening a lot more recently._

"It's that guy from the boat!" Gray yelled in shock. The villagers looked between Bobo and his grave in shock.

Bobo saw their confusion and laughed. "So I got stabbed through the chest," he said. "That wouldn't kill us demons."

"But you vanished on the boat," Gray said.

Bobo suddenly vanished. We heard the sound of flapping wings, so we looked up. He smiled at us. "Sorry that I couldn't tell you the whole story back then," he said. Gray's mouth hung open in awe. "My memory came back when I got away from the island, but I was afraid of the village since they all thought they were human."

The village head suddenly flew up to Bobo and hugged him. "Bobo," he cried.

"You're memory is back, dad," Bobo said happily. All the villagers suddenly flew into the air. I smiled as I watched the family reunion. A sudden flash of jealousy coursed through me. I held onto Natsu's shirt and cloak a little tighter, but I kept my smile. _If only my father was that affectionate. If only he was affectionate at all. I always thought what father did was normal until I heared Mrs. Spetto talk to some of the other maids about how horrible what he did was._

Erza smiled up at them. "The demon isle," she said. Gray, Happy, and I smiled up at the villagers as well. Natsu just sighed.

"We need a festival!" a villager yelled. "A demon festival!"

Natsu sighed again. "I'm going to bed," he said. I let go of him, and he walked to the house that the villagers let us borrow. _I guess a party is still too much socializing for now._ I smiled. _Oh well. He's been much more responsive lately, so that's a step in the right direction._


	31. Chapter 31

**Recommendation: The Masked Blogger by ForgottenPlanet**

 **I put up the first chapter of this story I adopted called Beauty Behind the Screen, adopted from Astra199. This chapter has a special dedication to L because she gave me the idea. I have to admit that it won't be exactly like L's idea, but I think Natsu and Lucy need to know each other for a bit longer and get to know each other better before she starts calling out for him. Many Nalu fans will be happy with her idea, so here it is! Filler number 1! Sorry this one is so short!**

~ Lucy's P.O.V. ~

 _"You dare disobey me!" father's voice boomed._

 _I flinched and backed away a few steps. "I'm sorry," I cried. I chanced a look at him and flinch when my eyes met with his glare._

 _"I told you to stay in your room!" he yelled. I flinched again and clutched the dress that the maids had set out for me. "You useless brat!" Before I could tell what was going on, I was on the ground. My cheek throbbed. I covered my cheek with my hand and looked up at father._

 _"I'm sorry," I cried as tears rolled down my cheeks._

 _"You're sorry?" father said in a deadly voice._

 _"Yes," I cried. Fear shot through me as I realized my mistake. "Yes sir," I cried desperately._

 _I knew he wasn't listening anymore when he threw the lamp at me. "You disrespectful, useless brat!" father screamed. I saw him pick up one of the pieces of the broken lamp and stalk towards me. I screamed and tried to run, but he caught my arm and slashed my back with the shard._

I bolted up and screamed. I heard something moving toward me. I screamed again as someone touched me and curled up in a ball. _I don't want to be hurt anymore!_ I cried and screamed whenever someone touched me. _They're going to hurt me like he did!_

"Lucy," I heard a panicked female voice say. I didn't respond. _They'll hurt me._

I felt someone lightly touch the top of my head. I flinch away. The hand stayed where it was. I slowly relaxed as it stroked my hair. _This person isn't hurting me._ I relax and lean my head on someone's shoulder. I felt the person shift and lay us both down. I realized the person was a man, but I was fine with that. This person wasn't hurting me. I realized exactly who it was when the man wrapped us in a cloak before we settled into a comfortable position.

"Natsu," I mumbled sleepily. I heard a hum in response. He maneuvered us so his right arm was my pillow and the other was wrapped protectively around me. I snuggled into him and slowly fell back to sleep.

When I woke up, I was still snuggled into Natsu. My hands clutched his shirt. His arm was my pillow, and his other arm was wrapped around my waist. It took me a second to realize that his cloak was wrapped around us too. I looked around the room and saw that Erza, Gray, and Happy weren't in the room. I shifted a bit to get more comfortable. Natsu's arm tightened around me. I sighed a little when I realized how light it was outside. "Aki," I said softly. Natsu only buried his nose in my hair. I giggled a little. "I didn't realize that you're a cuddler, Aki," I said. Natsu gave a small growl, but it wasn't the least bit scary. I giggled a little again. "It's time to get up," I said softly. Natsu didn't move. I was about to continue to try to coax him awake when the door opened.

"They haven't moved at all," I heard Gray say.

"I never knew Natsu liked to cuddle," Happy said. "He never let me cuddle with him." My cheeks flushed at the new information. _Am I the only one that's cuddled with him?_

"I bet it's just him being protective," Erza said. "You both know she had a horrible dream last night, so he was probably trying to comfort her while she slept." My eyes widened. _I remember dreaming about a memory, but I don't remember waking up. What happened? What did they see?_

"Do you think we should wake them up for breakfast?" Happy asked.

"We're already awake," Natsu growled. I looked up at Natsu's face.

"You're away?" I asked. He looked down at me and raised a brow. _Obviously he is._ "How long have you been awake?"

"Since they came in," he said. I nodded but didn't move. He didn't move either. He then sighed and slowly unwrapped himself and his cloak from around me. We sat up and turned to the others.

They watched us with curiosity evident on their faces. "Um," Gray said awkwardly, "breakfast is ready."

Natsu and I stood up and walked to the kitchen in the house. The table was set, and we sat down. I sat beside Natsu, Gray sat by Erza and across from me, and Happy sat on the table between Gray and I. We ate silently. It was an awkward silence. _Should I say something?_

Erza finally broke the silence. "Was last night one of your episodes?" she asked.

My eyes widened in shock. _This is the best breakfast conversation she can come up with?_ I swallowed my food. "I don't think so. According to what I heard you two say earlier, I think it was worse," I said.

"What did you even dream about?" Gray asked.

I looked down at the table and shifted uncomfortably. _Does he just expect me to come right out and say it? How would I even tell them that my dream was actually a memory? 'Oh, well I was actually remembering the first time my father stabbed me. Want to see the scare?'_ I shook my head and kept quiet.

"Come on, Lucy," Gray said. "I heard that it actually helps to talk about things."

Natsu growled, and Gray flinched. "Enough," Natsu growled. "She doesn't want to talk about it."

I looked up and saw the fear in Gray's eyes. I then remembered that Gray said that Natsu always beats up anyone who annoys him. "Aki," I say. I turn my attention to him and see that he's eating his food again. He nods his head to let me know I have his attention. "Why do you hurt people when they annoy you?" I asked.

He raised a brow at me. "It's normal," he said. The table was awkwardly silent for a few seconds.

Then I asked, "What do you mean?"

He gave an irritated sigh. Gray and Erza tensed, but did nothing else. Natsu had our full attention. "Acnologia beat me when he was annoyed or angry at me. Porleusica beats people with a broom. Master hits people's heads. Laxus beats people when he's annoyed or angry. Mirajane used to beat people, and Erza beats people. As I said, physical punishment is common," he explained. He looked me in the eyes. "However, what you went through was not normal, nor was it acceptable." My eye widened. Then I gave him a small smile.

"I was your role model?" Erza asked in shock.

Natsu raised a brow at her. "I lived with a dragon for as long as I could remember. I had to observe how humans interacted," he said. I giggled. _Who would have thought he was just copying others._

"What if I told you that Fairy Tail has people that are unnaturally violent?" Gray asked.

"What did you say?" Erza asked. She turned to glare at Gray.

Gray's eyes widened. He started to sweat nervously. "Nothing," he said. "I said nothing."

Erza nodded in approval. "So, Lucy," Erza said. "How did you defeat Sherry?"

I smiled. "She used magic that let her control anything that wasn't human, which includes my spirits," I said.

"Then why are you smiling?" Gray asked. "Wouldn't that put you at a disadvantage?"

I nodded. "It would. She actually turned Taurus against me, but I was able to force his gate closed. Then I got her to the ocean and summoned Aquarius."

"You summoned another spirit?" Happy asked.

I nodded again. "Aquarius sweeps me away with the enemy when I summon her. I used that to my advantage. Sherry took control of her, but because of Aquarius' personality, she swept Sherry away with me. Sherry was so dizzy that it was an easy win after that," I explained.

"What do you mean you forced Taurus' gate closed?" Erza asked.

I smiled at her again. "Well, in order for a spirit to go back to the spirit world, the summoner and the spirit have to want the spirit to go back, so it's almost impossible to send a spirit back by force. I don't know how I managed to do it, but I forced Taurus' gate closed," I explained.

"Taurus didn't want to go back to the spirit world even thought he was trying to hurt you?" Happy asked.

"Taurus didn't want to hurt me," I said. "Sherry was controlling him, so he really couldn't control if he went back or not."

I felt someone pat my head, and I turned to see Natsu looking at me with approval. I smiled at him, and my cheeks turned a light shade of pink. _I finally made him proud!_

"Gray," Happy called. Gray turned his attention to Happy. "Where did you get your stripping habit?"

Gray sighed. "Ur lived in the mountains," he said. "There was a lot of snow and ice where she lived, and she said that in order to learn how to do ice make magic, we had to be one with the ice first. She made us strip to our underwear and train like that on the mountains. Eventually, I developed my habit because we trained so much." His brows furrowed, and he leaned back in his chair. "It's weird that Lyon didn't develop the same habit."

"It's weirder that you even developed the habit in the first place," Happy said. Gray glared at Happy, who just kept eating his breakfast.

We made small talk for the rest of breakfast. After breakfast, we packed our luggage and head to the gates of the village. We said goodbye to the villagers a final time and promised to visit them sometime. Bobo volunteered to take us back to Hargeon, which we gladly took his offer. Once we got into the boat, Natsu laid his head on my shoulder. I started to run my fingers though his hair and hum to myself. _I can't wait to get back to the guild. I wander if anything exciting happened while we were gone._


	32. Chapter 32

**Recommendation: The Evil Prince Natsu With The Blond Wolf Girl Lucy by AkameDragneel**

 **Hello! Just a fair warning! This summer I can't update often because my mom doesn't have internet. Then I'm going to visit my grandparents, and I don't know how long that will be since they are in a different state. I will update as soon as I can though. Now then, here's what everyone (most) have been waiting for! The arc with so much Nalu potential that it makes me fangirl in the middle of class thinking about it: Phantom Lord!**

~ Lucy's P.O.V. ~

"We're back!" Happy yelled. He flew beside us as we walked through Magnolia.

A few people gave tentative smiles to us as we passed by. Most people just backed away from us. I shook my head and looked at Natsu, who was walking beside me. He didn't seem bothered by it. _I wonder what he really thinks. Does he think this is normal too? Does he get lonely because of this?_

I was brought out of my thoughts by Gray. "But after all that work, we only got a key," he mumbled. I smiled. _I don't mind that too much._

"True," Happy said. "After an s-class quest too."

I started to hum. _I got another zodiac key. How lucky was that!_ Natsu turned to look at me with a raised brow, but he said nothing on the subject. He turned back around to look at where he was walking.

"It wasn't an official mission since we forgot to send in the papers," Erza said, "so we can't expect much more."

I smiled happily. "You're right," I said. "We have no right to complain."

"But you're the only one who gained anything, Lucy," Happy whined. He flew into my arms as my smile grew. _That's why I'm not complaining._ "Let's just sell the keys."

I almost dropped Happy. I let him go, put my hands on my hips, and looked at him in disapproval. "I don't think you realize how important and rare this key is, Happy," I said. "The golden keys go to the _Twelve Golden Gates_ , which means there are only twelve of the golden keys in the world. They're more rare than you can imagine."

"You mean like the cow and the mermaid?" Happy asked teasingly.

I pouted and turned around to walk beside Natsu again. "When I'm a better mage, my celestial spirits will be stronger than Erza," I said.

"Okay," Gray said. He walked up beside me. "What key did you get this time?"

I smiled again. "The half-horse, half-man Sagittarius," I said happily. I started to hum again.

"Now the first thing to do is go to the guild and tell the master that we completed the request," Erza said. Natsu sighed and began walking in another direction.

"Where are you going, Aki?" I asked. Natsu looked over his shoulder and raised a brow. He sighed and turned back around. He walked a few steps, stopped, turned around, and walked back over to us. He stood beside me. My brows furrowed in confusion. _What made him come back?_ We didn't question Natsu's sudden change of heart and started to walk to the guild. Everyone whispered as we walked by, but that wasn't unusual. What was unusual was that they were looking at all of us with worried glances instead of just fearful looks at Natsu. _Is this why he came back?_

"What's going on?" Erza suddenly asked. "The guild looks odd." I turned to the guild, and my eyes widened in shock. I saw giant pillars sticking out of the guild hall. It looked like the pillars were driven into the building from all directions.

"What is that?" I asked. I grabbed onto Natsu's cloak. _Am I dreaming?_

"That's," Gray trailed off. His fists clenched. "What happened to our guild?" Gray yelled.

I held a hand over my mouth. Tears blurred my vision. Natsu stepped closer to me.

"What's the meaning of this?" Erza growled. "What happened here?"

"Phantom," I heard Mira say. We turned to see Mira walking towards us. "I hate to say it," Mira said, "but they got us pretty good." Mira led us into the guild and down some stairs. "This is the guild's basement," she explained. The entire guild was there, and luckily none of them looked injured.

"Hey, Erza's back," someone called happily. The room instantly went quiet when they saw Natsu behind me. "What's Dragneel doing here?"

"What's going on?" Erza asked.

"Did you see what they did to our guild?" Nab asked. Nab began to sweat nervously when Natsu turned his attention to the poor guy. Natsu glared at him, but said nothing. Nab's question caused the whole guild to go into an uproar.

"Those Phantom Lord creeps! Look what they did!"

"We never did get alone with them."

"Now we're going to have to take their guild out!"

"Calm down! We're talking about Phantom Lord here!"

"Yo!" Master said happily from on top of a crate. He had a beer in his hand and was smiling happily. _Is he drunk?_

"Thank you," Erza said. "It is good to be back." We walked over to the master.

"Old man!" Gray yelled. "This isn't a time for drinking!"

"Oh, you're right," Master said. He pointed at Natsu and Erza. "You two shouldn't have taken Gray and Lucy on an s-class mission! Gray isn't s-class, and Lucy is brand new to the guild! What were you thinking?"

"Huh?" Gray and I asked at the same time. _Why is he worried about that right now? Doesn't he realize the situation we're in?_ Master hit Gray and Happy on the head, but he spanked me. I yelped in shock.

Natsu let out a vicious growl. He wrapped an arm around me and pulled me into his cloak. "Keep your hands off her you dirty old man," Natsu growled. I looked up at Natsu in astonishment. I smiled up at him. _He really is very caring._ It took me a second to realize that the guild had gone completely silent again. I looked around and saw that everyone was watching us in astonishment.

"Master," Erza yelled. Everyone's attention was turned to her. "Do you even realize the situation you're in? The guild is ruined!"

Master sighed and looked away. "Oh, pipe down. It's nothing to make a fuss over." I gasped.

"What?" Gray yelled in outrage.

"Phantom," Master huffed. He took a big swig of his beer. "This is the worst that those fools can do. What is so great about vandalizing an empty guild?"

"Empty guild?"Erza asked.

"The attack was in the middle of the night," Mira explained. _That's why no one is hurt._ "So the fact that nobody was hurt is a bright spot in this whole mess."

Master waved his hand dismissively with a drunken smile. "What's the use of getting upset over a bunch of weaklings who can't rise above the ambush stage? Just ignore them."

Gray suddenly slammed his hands on the crate that Master was sitting on. "What are you saying?" he yelled. "We can't do that! I won't rest until they're completely crushed! I won't let them get away with destroying my home!"

Master's eyes widened. Then he sighed. "This conversation is finished. We'll be taking jobs here until the upstairs is repaired," Master said.

"Who takes jobs at a time like this?" Gray asks.

"That's enough, Gray!" Master yelled. He looked like he was going to hit Gray again, but his hand flew to my butt instead.

Natsu pulled me in front of him before Master could touch me, wrapped his arms around me, and growled again. "I told you to not touch her," he growled. Master held up his hands as a sign of peace.

The master suddenly jumped off the crate. "Hold that thought," he said. "I need a restroom quick."

"How can he act like everything's normal?" Happy asked.

"Guys," Mira says. My eyes widen when I saw her face. She looked like she was about to cry. "The master is just as angry about this as the rest of us, but armed conflict between the guilds is strictly forbidden by the council."

"They started it!" Happy yelled. _I find it strangely ironic that Happy isn't happy._

"That isn't the problem," Mira said.

Erza bit her lip and looked at the floor. "If that's how the master feels," she trailed off. Gray hit the crate again. I jumped because I wasn't expecting the sound. Natsu's arms tightened around me. Erza sighed. "There's nothing we can do about it," she said.

Not too long after that, everyone went home to unpack from the mission. I jumped on the ledge by the river and walked along the edge while pulling my suitcase behind me. I called out Plue. He walked in front of me. "Well, that sure was weird," I said to Plue.

"Miss, it's your own fault if you fall in," a fisherman called over to me. I ignored them and invested in my conversation with Plue.

"I had already read that relations between Phantom and Fairy Tail were strained," I said. We arrived at my apartment, and I picked up my suitcase to take it up the stairs. "A while ago, I was pretty conflicted as to which I wanted to join. They're about as crazy as our guild is." I smiled as I turned the handle to my room. "But I'm so happy I joined this guild! After all, Fairy Tail is," I stopped midsentence and gasped.

"Welcome home," Gray said. He waved a hand at me. He was sitting at my table and eating my food.

"Hi there!" Happy said cheerfully. He flew into my arms, and I hugged him on instinct.

"I approve of your apartment," Erza said. Natsu was leaning on the wall a bit further in the room and gave me a nod.

"Why are you all in my room?" I asked in shock. _And why did you let yourselves in?_

Erza crossed her arms. "This is related to the incident with Phantom. The fact that they came to this town means that they may have discovered the addresses of our personal residences," she explained.

I gasped in shock and took a step back. "What?"

"I hope not," Gray said, "but they may attack any one of us when we're alone. So Mirajane said that it would be safer if we stuck together for the time being."

"Is that so?" I asked. _So why my house?_

"So we're all staying here tonight!" Happy said cheerfully.

Erza smiled. "You are a young woman of a certain age. And so it would be inappropriate for you to stay with Gray and Natsu unchaperoned," Erza explained. "That is why I'm accompanying you."

Natsu glared at her, and she stiffened. He then turned his glare at Gray, who stiffened as well. I rolled my eyes. _He'd be so much more approachable if he'd stop glaring._

"Who decided that Aki and Gray would stay here?" I asked.

"The boys can't stay in Fairy Hills, and everyone wanted to see what your place looked like," Erza explained. I sighed. _They could have just asked to see my apartment. It also would have been nice if they asked to stay over instead just deciding without me._

"I'm going to sleep," Gray said. "Keep the noise down." He walked over to my bed and laid down. _Who said he could use my bed?_

"Erza, look at this," Happy said. "I've found a pair of sexy panties!" My cheeks flushed, and I turned to see Happy digging through my underwear drawer as Erza held up a pair of panties for inspection.

Erza blushed. "This is amazing," she said. "You actually wear these?" My cheeks flushed even more. Erza put my panties away and pulled Happy out of the drawer. She then looked at Gray. "You smell like a sweat farm. If you plan on sleeping in the same apartment as us, take a bath."

"I'm too tired for that," Gray said.

Natsu glared at Gray. "Get off the bed and take a bath. The woman doesn't need to smell you when she sleeps." Gray hopped off the bed and ran to the bathroom. I giggled. _That's one way to make him get in the bath._

"Do you mean women, Natsu?" Erza asked.

Natsu stared at her, and I could tell it unnerved her. She started to fidget and look anywhere but at him. "No," he finally said. "I meant only Lucy."

I smiled at him. "Thank you for making him take a bath, Aki. I know you said you were only wanting to help me, but Erza is grateful to you as well." Natsu's gaze turned to me, and his expression instantly softened. Natsu nodded at me and decided to lay on the bed.

It didn't take long for everyone to take a bath. By the time I got out of the bath, questions were running through my head. "Say," I said as I walked out of the bathroom. "Why would Phantom suddenly attack like that?" I dried my hair as best I could with the towel, but it was still damp.

"Who knows," Erza said. She sat at the table and crossed her arms. I sat beside Natsu on the bed. He moved to sit behind me. _What is he doing?_ I suddenly felt warm hands comb through my hair. I relaxed and smiled a little. "We've had brushes with them in the past," Erza continued, "but this is the first direct attack that I've ever seen."

"I'm sure we could take them, but they have a wizard saint on their side," Gray said. I looked over at him and saw him sitting at my desk. He had a stack of papers in his hand. My eyes widened, and I jumped off the bed and snatched the papers.

"Don't read these," I said as I held them close to me. I sat back down on the bed.

Natsu pulled me into his lap and started to run his hands through my hair again. "Don't suddenly jump away from me," he said quietly. "I thought I hurt you." I leaned back and made myself comfortable. I pat his leg to show that it was ok.

"Wizard saint?" I asked when I remembered where in the conversation we were.

"It's a title granted to the ten greatest mages on the continent by the head of the council," Erza said.

"Wow," I said. "That's incredible!" _Why is it wizard saint though? We call ourselves mages. Well, maybe because mage saint doesn't sound as good as wizard saint._

Happy flew beside me and raised his hand. "The Phantom Lord's master, Jose, is a wizard saint," he said.

Gray sighed. "I wish we could just attack them back, but both the master and Mirajane know what would happen if the two guilds began an open war. I know they're trying to avoid it for the safety of the entire magic world."

I gulped. Natsu wrapped his arms loosely around my waist and rested his chin on top of my head. I calmed down instantly. "Is Phantom really that powerful?" I asked.

Natsu huffed in irritation. "They're nothing special." _Of course they don't seem like much to you, Aki. They're probably really strong though._

"I'm afraid war and mutual destruction is unavoidable," Erza said. "The two powers are too well balanced." _I don't like the sound of that. I know we're trying to avoid the war, but how far will Phantom go to start one?_


	33. Chapter 33

**Recommendation: Coffee Cakes by illustraice**

 **Ok, so a few people have wanted to read Happy's P.O.V. since the beginning, and the idea is getting more and more popular, but I've never really been able to figure out what chapter I could use his point of view on. It would help a lot if you guys would make some suggestions for which part could be in his point of view. Remember that I'll be going to my mom's soon. One more thing: primsgirl89 messaged me because she got a message saying that our fanfics are really similar. We talked about it, and we now know there are a lot of similarities, but we're both fine with that.**

~ Natsu's P.O.V. ~

I woke up because of a scream from outside. I quickly sat up and pulled Lucy behind me. Happy flew to the window and looked outside.

"What's going on?" Erza asked. I turned and saw Erza and Gray walking towards Happy. _It seems they were woken up too._ I pushed Lucy more behind me. I looked at Happy for answers since he's at the window. Happy stared at me blankly. I stared back. _Is he staring because he just woke up?_ "Happy," Erza said impatiently.

Happy shook his head and looked at her. "I don't know. I heard a scream and came to the window. Everyone is running that way." He pointed towards Southgate Park. Everyone jumped up and ran out of the apartment. When we made it to the park, there was a mob in the park.

Erza pushed her way through the mob. "Excuse me," she shouted. "Let me through! I'm from the guild!" _It's not often that Erza pushes civilians aside like this._ Gray quickly followed her. I walked calmly with Happy and Lucy right behind me. For the first time ever, I had to growl at people to get their attention. _It's so much easier when they run away in fear. What made them react this strongly?_ Lucy followed close behind me. I looked at Gray. Gray was frozen in shock. His eyes were wide. His fists here clenched. He looked like he couldn't decide whether to be angry or stand there and gawk in shock. _What could possibly make Gray react like that?_ I looked in the same direction as everyone else and got my answer.

There, on the biggest tree in the park, hung the beaten and bloody team Shadow Gear. Jet, the fastest man in the guild, Droy, Jet's faithful teammate, and Levy, the sweet bookworm of Fairy Tail, hung side by side in ripped and bloody clothes. Their arms were held against the tree with metal. They looked like they had been crucified. One full display was Phantom Lord's guild mark, which was placed on Levy's stomach.

My eyes widened a little. Lucy trembled in shock. "Levy," Lucy's voice shook and cracked. My heart squeezed painfully. _She shouldn't see this. She doesn't need to see this._ I spun Lucy around and hugged her close to my chest. I wrapped my cloak around her so she wouldn't be able to see if she turned round. I wrapped an arm around her waist to keep her close, and I cradled her head in my other hand. She buried her face in the crook of my neck.

Gray finally broke out of his trance. "Jet! Droy!" Gray yelled.

I felt something wet touch my skin. _What?_ I was about to pull away from Lucy when I smelled her tears. My eyes widened. _Lucy's crying._ I focused on Phantom Lord's guild mark. _Phantom made Lucy cry._ A menacing growl tore out of me as I held Lucy closer. _Phantom will pay._ I heard the mob move, but I didn't bother to look. I just kept my focus on the symbol on Levy's stomach. Master Makarov walked past me and stood in front of the tree. I could feel the anger radiating off him. _Good._

"Master," Erza said. Her voice trembled with rage. _Good._

Master looked down and placed his hand on his face. He started to tremble in rage. _Good._ "I could look the other way when they made a ruin of out bar, but no father could see the blood of his children and stand silent!" Master squeezed his staff so tight it broke. " **This means war!** " _Very good. I'll destroy them!_

~ Lucy's P.O.V. ~

I sat on a stool beside Levy in the Magnolia hospital. I stared at my lap. "Levy, Jet, Droy," I said quietly. "They sure can do some awful things."

"Aye," Happy said. He flew over and landed on my lap. I hugged him close. _I still can't believe Natsu made Happy stay with me. He even got mad when I asked him to go with the rest of the guild. He didn't budge until happy volunteered to stay with me._

I sighed and looked at team Shadow Gear. The memory of how we first met came to mind.

 _I was sitting at a table and was about to eat a sandwich when a petite blunette sat beside me. I turned towards her and saw that there were two men standing behind us. The girl smiled at me. "I heard all about it, Lu. You're writing a novel," she said._

 _I sighed and slumped down on the table. How did she even know that? Maybe Happy told her. He did find my book when he came over while I was in the bath a few weeks ago. "Does everyone know about it?" I asked."And what's with the Lu thing?" I wouldn't be surprised if Happy told everyone in the guild._

 _The girl laughed. "I'm Levy," she said with a smile. "I'm seventeen like you, Lu. These guys are Jet and Droy." She gestured to the guys behind us. "They're on the same team as me."_

 _"Hi," Jet said._

 _Droy blushed. "She's cute," he said. I smiled at them._

 _"I'm not good at write, but I love reading books," Levy said. "Could you let me read what you've written?"_

 _I blushed. "I don't know," I said. "It's not in a condition to show to anyone."_

 _"What are you saying?" Jet asked. I turned to look at him. He smiled and raised a brow. "The whole purpose of writing is to let people read it."_

 _Droy nodded. "He said it," Droy said. "A writer's job is to show everyone the author's most private parts." I blushed again and covered my butt._

 _Levy nodded. "If you're too embarrassed to show it, you won't get anything accomplished," she said. She smiled again and extended her hand. "Let me see it," she said excitedly. "Please! I don't mean your private parts!"_

 _"I'm still in the middle," I explained with a small smile._

 _Levy's smile grew. "Then when you're finished, I want to be reader number one! Okay?"_

 _I laughed a little. "Okay," I said._

 _"That's a promise!" She clapped her hands together and laughed. I smiled and laughed too._

I looked back at the bed ridden Shadow Gear and bit my lip. "This is unforgivable," I said. "They're unforgivable!" I felt Happy hug me tighter.

"Aye," he said. "That's why everyone went to beat up Phantom Lord."

I sighed and nodded. "You're right," I said. _I wonder if Natsu is getting closer to the guild. He started growling when we saw Shadow Gear on the tree._ I shook my head and stood up. "Stay here Happy," I said. "I'm going to go shopping, and someone needs to stay here."

Happy shook his head. "There's no reason for them to come here," he said. "Shadow Gear is already down for the count. Plus, I promised Natsu that I would watch over you." I sighed again. _He's not going to disregard what Natsu told him to do, is he?_

I nodded. "Okay," I said. I stood up with Happy still in my arms. I looked back at team Shadow Gear one last time. _I wish there was more I could do._ I turned around and walked out of the room.

On the way to the market, I made Happy fly on his own. I sighed. "Everyone went off without us, but I can understand why," I said.

"Why?" Happy asked.

I smiled sadly at him. "Someone needs to watch over team Shadow Gear," I explained. Happy nodded in understanding. I felt a drop of water hit me. I looked up and watched as the rain quickly got heavier. I was quickly drenched. _Good think I haven't bought anything yet._ I looked ahead of me and saw someone walking towards me.

"Steady and gentle," the woman said. She finally walked close enough for me to see her. She had blue hair that was a little darker than Levy's, and her hair was curled at the ends. She wore heavy clothes that looked hot considering it was summer. _Maybe she knew it was going to rain._ She had an angry expression on her face. "Yes," she suddenly said. "Juvia is a rain maker. Steady and gentle." _Someone is making the rain? And who's Juvia?_

"Huh?" I asked. I put my arms over my head to try to protect myself from the rain.

"What woman are you?" the woman asked. My brows furrowed in confusion. _What does she mean by that? Is she asking for my name?_

"Um," I said, "can I ask your name first?"

The woman walked by me. "It's been fun. Take care," she said. "Steady and gentle." She pulled out an umbrella. _Where'd she get the umbrella? And why wasn't she using it earlier?_

I turned around to watch her. _That was fun? Was that her idea of a conversation?_ "What was that?" I asked.

"Whatever it was," Happy said, "it was weird." I nodded my head in agreement.

"Non, non, non," I heard someone say. The woman stopped, and all three of us turned around. The ground started to swell, and a man formed. "Bonjour," the man said with a smile.

"Another weird one showed up!" Happy yelled.

"Ah, Juvia, you should know better than to abandon your work," the man said. I raised a brow at them. _So that woman is Juvia? She talks in third person?_

"Monsieur Sol," Juvia said.

He looked at me and smiled. "Oh, how my monocle whispers to me!" My eyes widened, and I took a step back. _Happy's right. He is really weird._ "It says the mademoiselle is our beloved cible!"

"Is she?" Juvia asked. She turned around and looked at me. "So it was her?"

"Eh?" I asked. A foreboding feeling crashed down on me.

"Ah, I did not mean to be rude," Monsieur Sol said with a smile. _That smile is quickly becoming creeping. Does he have any other facial expressions?_ "I am Sol," he said. "You can call me Monsieur Sol." He bowed to me. "We are from the superb Phantom Lord guild."

"Juvia is the rain woman of the Element Four," Juvia said. _Yep. She speaks in third person._

Happy gasped. "Why are two of the strongest mages in Phantom looking for you?" he asked.

My eyes widened. "Two of the strongest in Phantom?" I asked. _I haven't come into contact with any of them!_ Anger suddenly filled me. "Oh," I said. "So you're the ones who hurt Levy and her team?" I grabbed my key ring.

Monsieur Sol just twirled part of his mustache. "Non, non, non," he said. "I give you three nons. You are mistaken. Ruining your guild and attacking Levy was all Gajeel's work." _Gajeel?_

Happy and I were suddenly surrounded by water. I reached for the edge of the sphere of water. My eyes widened when I found the outside to be solid. _I can't just pass through._ I tried to break it by hitting it, but it wouldn't even crack. _What do I do?_ I continued to hit it.

"Of course," Monsieur Sol continued, "he may have done it with the blessing of our guild. But I would know nothing of that." _You wouldn't know anything about the guild allowing a member to crucify three people?_

I beat on the barrier harder. I needed air! I looked over at Happy, and I saw that he already passed out. I pulled him to me and tried desperately to get out of the water. Juvia waved her hand, and I stuck my head out of the water. I tossed Happy out of the water, and onto the street. _I'm sorry, Happy. I know that hurt you, but it's for the best._ Juvia moved her hand again, and I was sucked back into the water.

"You cannot break out of Juvia's water lock," Juvia said. I didn't have the strength to try and fight to the surface again. My vision started to go black. _No. I have to stay awake._ "No need for fear. Juvia will make sure you do not die. After all, Juvia's duty is to bring you back alive, Lucy Heartfilia." _If only I hadn't dropped my keys._ Then everything went black.

 **Special thanks to everyone that notified me that I accidently posted the wrong chapter.**


	34. Chapter 34

**Recommendation: Fairy Tail Pirates: The Treasure of Tenrou Island by Tsukki086**

 **Sorry for the super long wait, but as I said, I was at my mom's house, which doesn't have internet. Then I went to see my grandparents for a week and the family doesn't like it when I'm on my phone while with my grandparents, so you can imagine they're reaction if I pull out a laptop. I wasn't able to update, but I can now! So here's the next chapter!**

~ Happy's P.O.V. ~

I slowly opened my eyes and looked around. _Why am I in an alley?_ I sat up and rubbed the sleep from my eyes. I saw puddles of water all around the alley, and my eyes widened. _Those people attacked us! Wait! Where's Lucy?_ I shot up into the air and looked around. Fear shot through me. _They kidnapped Lucy! I didn't protect mom!_ I started to shake in fear. _What are they going to do to mom? What's Natsu going to do to me? Dad is super protective of mom._

I shook my head and flew as fast as I could to catch up to Natsu and the rest of the guild. It only took me a few minutes to get to the guild hall, and luckily, Natsu hadn't gone into the guild yet. I flew down and landed in front of Natsu. He stopped and looked down at me with a raised brow.

"You should be with the woman," he said. _Why does he rarely say mom's name?_

I tear up. "Please save her," I said. "They surprised us and knocked me out. When I woke up, they were already gone. They took her."

Natsu stood still for a second. "Who did they take?"

I started to cry. "They took mom," I said while wiping my tears away.

~ Natsu's P.O.V. ~

I roared in anger and flew into Phantom Lord. _How dare they take her! I'll destroy Phantom Lord!_

"Retreat!" Erza yelled. _What?_ I watched in shock as Fairy Tail retreated. The Phantom Lord punks tried to chase Fairy Tail out of the guild hall, but I blocked them.

I made a giant wall of fire between Fairy Tail and the Phantom Lord members. I grabbed the closest member of Phantom Lord by the neck. "Where's the woman?" I growled.

"What woman?" the man asked. He was shaking in fear. _That's right. Be scared. I'll burn you alive._

" _My_ woman," I growled. I hit him in the face, and he flew through the wall and out of the guild. I flew out after him and grabbed his neck again. I lifted him up in the air. "Tell me where she is!"

"I don't know," he cried. "Who're you talking about?"

I growled and lit him on fire for a second. He screamed in pain. "Talk!" I squeezed his neck after the fire was out. "If even a hair on Lucy's head is hurt, I'll burn you into ashes."

The man shuddered in fear. "I don't know! I've really never heard that name before!" he cried. I punched him in the stomach. His eyes widened in shock and pain as the air was knocked out of him. I drew my hand back to hit him again but stopped when he yelled, "Wait!" I stopped and glared at him. He shivered again. "Our headquarters is that way." He pointed to a little path ahead of me. "She may be there." _He should have said that earlier instead of wasting my time!_

I punched him in the face, knocking him out. I threw him back into the Phantom Lord guild hall and flew towards Phantom's headquarters. Happy soon caught up to me. We flew in silence. Soon the headquarters were in sight. I breathed a sigh of relief. _I'll get her back soon._ My heart almost stopped when I saw Lucy suddenly jump out of one of the towers. _No!_

~ Lucy's P.O.V. ~

My eyes slowly opened. I groaned in discomfort. _Passing out from lack of air is not something I want to experience again._ I tried to move my hands and discovered that they were tied. My eyes widened in shock. I then looked around me and found myself in a cell. I quickly sat up and looked around again. "What is this? Where am I?" I asked in shock. _Why am I in a cell? Wouldn't they want to hurt me like they did with team Shadow Gear?_

"Awake are you, Lucy Heartfilia?" I heard someone ask. I turned to the door and saw a creepy man standing on the other side of the door.

"Who are you?" I asked. _He must be another member of Phantom Lord._

The man opened the door and stepped into my cell. He had his arms crossed and a smirk on his face. _Wow, it looks like he's smirked so much that it's now etched into his face. He must be pretty high up if he's so cocky._ "I am called Jose, the guild master of Phantom Lord," he said.

My eyes widened in shock. _Why is the guild master here? I thought he would make one of the other members of the guild watch me._

He opened his arms in a way that reminds me of how mom used to hold her arms out to me for a hug. The sweet image was ruined by his creepiness and that smirk on his face. "I'm sorry for this dingy cell and your restrains, and I do apologize, but at the moment, you still hold the position of a captive, so I beg your indulgence," Jose said. My brows furrowed in confusion. _Indulgence? He wants me to enjoy being in this cell?_

I shake my head and glare at him. "Take these off me!" I yelled. I pulled at the ropes around my wrists.

"However," he continued. _He just ignored me!_ "Depending on your attitude, it may be possible to reclassify you from captive to honored guest."

I glared at him in suspicion. _What is he planning? We're at war, so maybe he thinks I'll tell him the others weaknesses since I'm new to the guild. He probably thinks I'm not as attached to everyone else. It's probably best to find out his plan before turning him down._ "Meaning?" I ask slowly. I suddenly feel something on my leg and look down. My eyes widen and a scream rips out of me when I see a centipede crawling on my leg. I move my leg sharply to throw it off and scoot away from it. _That's so gross!_

"Well, you dislike the cell, right?" Jose asks. I turn my attention back to him. _Please don't crawl on me again while I'm looking away from you, Mr. Centipede!_ _And that jerk is using the bugs to his advantage!_ "You can be installed into our luxury suite, as long as you promise to behave."

I glare back at him. _No way am I going to sit still like an obedient little girl while my guild is being attacked! However, I can get information out of him if he thinks I'll be obedient._ I stopped struggling in my restraints and sat still. "Why are you attacking us?" I asked.

"Us?" he asked in confusion. I could see as understanding set in. "Ah, you must be referring to Fairy Tail." His smirk suddenly turned into a sneer. "It was nothing more than a side effect. A side effect." _Does he think that saying it twice will make it more dramatic?_ My brows furrowed in confusion again. _What could cause this war to be a side effect?_ As if reading my mind, Jose explained the situation. "Our actual goal was to get hold of a _certain someone_." _They were trying to get someone? Was it someone in the guild? But why?_ "That someone can at times be found at Fairy Tail, so the destruction of Fairy Tail was a side effect so to speak."

 _Who could they be looking for? I've never heard of a guild having to find someone in another guild. No one has ever had trouble with this._ Realization felt like a punch to the gut. _Those element four people were looking for me, and Jose said my full name._ I decided to play dumb. "Certain someone?" I asked. My voice sounded shaky and weak even to myself.

Jose apparently didn't catch the shakiness of my voice. "For the daughter of the famous Heartfilia family, you certainly are dimwitted," Jose said. _I was right._ "Why, of whom else do I speak of but you? The young debutante* of the Heartfilia konzern,* Miss Lucy."

I shudder as the feelings associated with the formalness come back to me. "How do you know about that?" I asked. _Is he going to ask for a ransom? Too bad for him then. Father wouldn't pay a cent to get me back._

"Young miss," I shudder again, "it seems you hid your true identity from your own guild." Jose chuckles. I shudder again. _He's so creepy._ "Now, I have no idea why a daughter of this country's greatest industrialist would go slumming in such a cheap, dangerous job."

I gulped and shifted a little further away from him. _So he_ is _after a ransom._ "This is a kidnapping, right?"

He shook his head. "No, no," he said happily. "Perish the thought." _How is this not kidnapping? He took me forcefully and now has me tied up._ "We have been commissioned to escort you home by none other than your father."

My eyes widened in shock. _That's not possible._ I started to tremble in fear and realization. _I'm the reason everyone is fighting. I'm the reason team Shadow Gear is in the hospital. I have to go back to father._ "No," I said. My voice trembled. "That's a lie," I whisper. "Why would he want me back?"

"The answer is obvious," Jose said. "Any parent would search the world over for a child who has run away."

"He wouldn't!" I yelled. "That man wouldn't even notice!" _That's not true. He would notice. He would notice that his punching bag is gone. I don't want to go back. I won't go back!_ "I won't go back! I am never going back to that house!"

Jose sighed. His smirk never left though. "Now, now," he said. "Don't make trouble, young miss." _He still expects me to be obedient._

"Let me go," I demanded. "Now!"

Jose shook his head. "I'm afraid that is out of the question." I glared at him. _Fine then. I'll just have to get out by myself._

I tried to make myself blush, but it's harder than I thought. _Ok, Lucy. Think of something that will make you blush._ The image of Natsu using my legs as a pillow on the train popped into my head. Then I remember waking up in Natsu's arms. Twice. My cheeks suddenly felt like they were on fire, and I looked away from Jose. _I hope this works._ "I need to go to the bathroom," I said.

Jose crossed his arms. "I never thought you would use such an old ruse," he said.

I fidgeted. "No," I said, "I mean it. I really need to go."

Jose huffed in amusement and pointed to something. "Be my guest." My eyes widened in shock. _He already had a bucket in here? He's not making this easy. I guess I have to step up my game a bit._ Jose laughed. "There are many ways to deal with old tricks," he said.

 _And there are many ways to make those tricks convincing._ I stood up and walked over to the bucket and turned towards Jose. I started to pretend to try and pull my underwear down. _As if I'd actually take them off when a man is in the room._ "I have to use a bucket?" I asked.

"You're really going to do it?" Jose yelled in shock. He quickly turned around to face the opposite direction. "I've never heard of a debutante being so vulgar," he said. "You soil the eyes of a gentleman like me."

I held in a laugh. _Gentleman? He calls himself a gentleman, but he kidnapped me and gave me a bucket as a toilet._ I quickly run towards him and kick him where the sun doesn't shine* with a triumphant grin. He yells in pain and falls to the floor. "There's a reason these old ruses are called classics," I said. "Well, take care of yourself, won't you?" I winked at him, turned around, and ran to the door. I stop as soon as I get to the door. My eyes widen in shock, and dread wells up in me. I'm at the top of a tower, and there's no way down.

Jose laughs. "Too bad for you," he said. "This dungeon is up in the sky." _What am I going to do?_ I hear Jose stand up. I turn around and shuffle towards the edge of the tower. "That kick," he pauses, "was effective." I glance over my shoulder. I start to tremble and bite my lip. _There's no way down._

" _You stupid girl!" Father's fist comes down._

"Now," Jose says. "Just come over here. You must receive your punishment. You have to learn just how frightening the Phantom Lord can be." I glance over my shoulder again. I suck in a deep breath and slowly let it out. _There_ is _one way down._

I jump.

 ***debutante – an upper-class young woman making her first appearance in fashionable society (got the definition from Google)**

 ***konzern – a German word that the Japanese sometimes borrow to refer to a business empire (got the definition from the back of the physical manga)**

 ***where the sun doesn't shine – I actually say, 'Where the sun don't shine.' It's something my family and others from where I live say as kids to replace saying a man's groin. (I still sometimes say it even though I'm not a kid.) I know most of you probably knew what I meant, but this is in case someone didn't know what I meant.**


	35. Chapter 35

**Recommendation: Dragon Scales by Jazmin Gato**

 **I feel like the song** **Little Me** **is one of those songs that I can connect to. I'm getting emotional listening to it, and I need to follow its advice. I wish more songs were like this one. ANYONE THAT DOESN'T FEEL PROUD OF HIM/HERSELF MENTALLY OR PHYSICALLY AND FEELS LONELY OR IGNORED LIKE ME LISTEN TO** **LITTLE ME** **and** **CHANGE YOUR LIFE** **BY LITTLE MIX! That's my advice. Also, I hope this chapter is good. I like it, but I'm a bit iffy on how everyone else will like it.**

~ Lucy's P.O.V. ~

I closed my eyes and expected to fall until I hit the ground. That didn't happen. I fell a few feet. Then warm arms wrapped around me and pulled me into a hard chest. My eyes widened in shock. I looked up and saw an angry Natsu's. Confusion and fear swirled inside me. _Was he mad at me or Phantom? What if he's mad at both?_ I push those thoughts out of my head as Natsu lands and set me down. He doesn't say a word as he unties me. _His silence shouldn't make me nervous, but it does for some reason._ I sit down and rub my wrists when he gets them untied.

"Mom!" Happy yells. I turn my head and see him flying to me. I turned and opened my arms for him. He flies into my arms and cries. "I'm so sorry! I'm sorry I couldn't protect you!"

I smiled sadly and pet his head. "It's ok, Happy," I said softly. "Those two were some of the strongest in Phantom Lord, so it's ok. I couldn't do anything either once they took my keys away."

"I was so scared," Happy whimpered. "I thought they were going to hurt you like they did to Shadow Gear." I flinched at the reminder of team Shadow Gear. _They're pain is my fault._ "Then I saw you jump from the tower, and I thought you were going to die!" _I thought so too, Happy. You don't need to know that though. You've been through enough._

"Why did you jump?" Natsu asked.

I held Happy a little closer to me. _I guess there's no hiding my past now. He deserves to know since it's causing so much pain to everyone._ "I didn't want to go back to my father," I said quietly.

Natsu growled. "How stupid are you?" he growled. I flinched at his tone. "If I hadn't caught you, you would be dead!" he yelled. "Stop doing stupid things like that! Why would you even jump? A few bruises are much better than being dead! What does your dad even have to do with this?"

Tears filled my eyes. I tried to keep them in, but I couldn't. _He's going to be mad when he sees the tears. He'll think I'm weak. Will he beat me like father would?_ I started to tremble. _He's never hurt me before, but father never hurt me until mom died. Will Natsu start hurting me now?_ The feeling of safety I felt when being with Natsu suddenly left me, and I felt cold and afraid. "I'm sorry," I cried. "I'm so sorry." I let go of Happy, and moved away from him. _I don't deserve to hold Happy._ "All of this is my fault. The war is my fault. I made everyone suffer. I made everyone get hurt." A sob ripped out of me. I hunched over and buried my face in my hands. "I didn't want to go back! I didn't want to get tortured by my father again! I was going to die either way, so I might as well make it on my own terms! I don't want to go back! I want to stay at Fairy Tail! I love it here! I love Fairy Tail!" I sobbed even harder.

"Tortured?" Happy asked in shock. "How would he torture you?"

"He hit me all the time," I sobbed. "He beat me to relieve stress, and I look so much like mom that he takes it as an insult! He threw me across the room, choked me, and cut me with broken bottles! He'd beat me until I passed out from the pain! Then he'd leave me until one of the maids found me! I can't take it anymore! I can't take being beaten for everything I did! I can't take being beaten for things I didn't do! If I so much as breathed, he would beat me! I'm useless! A waste of air! A waste of space! I'm only a disappointment! I can't take it! I can't go back!" I couldn't hear anything other than my own sobs. I felt a hand on my head and flinched. _So the beatings start._ The hand slowly started to stroke my hair. _Why isn't he beating me?_ My sobs slowly die down to soft hiccups. I slowly look up at Natsu.

His eyes are gentle. "Let's go back to the guild," he said softly. I slowly nodded and tried to stand up, but my legs buckled, and I landed on the ground again. Natsu sighs softly and kneels down in front of me. To my shock, he held his arms out to me as if inviting me for a hug. I hesitantly reached out for him. I wrap my arms around his neck and burry my face in the crook of his neck. Natsu wraps one arm around my waist and his other arm under my knees. He picks me up easily. _Why is he being so gentle? Isn't he mad?_ I didn't question his actions though. I just held onto him as he and Happy flew back to the guild. I slowly fell asleep in Natsu's arms.

~ Natsu's P.O.V. ~

Lucy slowly relaxed in my arms, and when I looked down, I found that she was asleep. I growled softly when I saw the tear stains on her face. _She shouldn't cry. She should be happy and smiling like usual. What did Phantom tell her? And what does her father have to do with all this? Sure, someone can get a request to find someone, but the entire guild wouldn't get involved._ I sighed and shook my head. _I'll have to ask her when she wakes up._

"We aren't going to send her back, right?" Happy suddenly asked.

"No," I said. _Not after what she had to go through. No wander she's so scared of getting yelled at._ I looked at where I was going. I could see the destroyed guild now since it's faster to fly than travel by land. Happy and I soon landed in front of the guild hall and walked to the basement. I lightly shook Lucy to wake her up. She snuggled into me instead. My cheeks felt a little warm, but I brushed it off. _There are more important matters to think about than how cute she is when she's trying not to wake up._ I sighed and shook her some more. "Wake up," I said. Lucy slowly woke up, but she didn't let me go. _At least she's awake. Why won't she look around though? Does she think everyone will be angry at her?_ I sighed again and walked down to the basement. Everyone went dead silent as they saw me walk down the stairs. Their eyes grew wide in shock when they saw me holding Lucy. I ignored them and set her down on a barrel in a corner.

I turned to everyone in the room and glared. They flinched and looked at the ground. "Where's the old man?" I asked. No one answered, and I growled. "Well?" I growled as my glare turned deadly.

"Master is at Porlyusica's," I heard Mira say. I turned my glare to her. She flinched at its intensity and took a step back. "He was badly injured in the fight against Phantom Lord," she explained.

I sighed in irritation and turned back to Lucy. My gaze instantly softened when I saw her. She hung her head and covered her stomach with her arms. I could see her trembling in fear. I slowly stroked her hair. She relaxed just the slightest bit. "What does he have to do with this war?" I asked. I made sure that my voice held no anger or irritation. I was shocked to see that she became even more scared than before I started to comfort her.

"He hired the entire Phantom Lord guild to bring me back," she said quietly.

The only sign of shock I let anyone see was my hand freezing for a second. _Who has that kind of money?_ When I continued to stroke her hair, I asked, "Who's your father?"

She hesitated before mumbling, "Jude Heartfilia." My eyes widened in shock, and my hand stilled again. I heard the entire guild gasp. I hadn't known that the guild had been quiet enough to let everyone hear our conversation. "I'm so sorry," she cried. "If I go back, this will end. No one else will get hurt." My eyes widened even more. _She'd go back to her father to protect us?_ I then remembered some of the things she said earlier.

" _If I so much as breathed, he would beat me! I'm useless! A waist of air! A waist of space! I'm only a disappointment!"_

I growled loudly. She flinched away from me. "I'm so sorry," she sobbed. "For an entire year, he didn't do a thing about his runaway daughter! Then suddenly he wants me home again! This all happened because I ran away!" She buried her face in her hands again. _She really thinks it's all her fault._

"No," Elfman suddenly said. "You're father is the evil one!" _You have no idea how right you are, Elfman._

"Shut it, idiot," Gray said sternly. "Don't say things like that."

"Eh," Elfman suddenly said frantically. "No, wait! I mean Phantom! Phantom is the evil one!" I raised a brow at him. _Is this his way of trying to comfort her?_ Lucy sobbed louder. I glared at Elfman, but he paid no attention to me. He was trying not to cry as well. "A man can't stand to see a girl cry!" he yelled.

Gray scratched the back of his head and looked at Lucy with concern. "Don't cry," he said. "It's not like you." _He's right. She gets scared, but she doesn't openly cry like this._

Lucy shook her head and wailed. My heart cracked at the sound. "I have to go back! I have to leave!"

I gave Lucy a stern look even though she can't see it. "You're staying here whether you like it or not," I said. Everyone gasped. Lucy suddenly stopped crying and looked at me with wide eyes. "That beast doesn't deserve you. You're supposed to annoy me all the time and be smiling and happy. If you don't agree, I'll just tie you up while I turn everyone that wants to take you away into ashes." Lucy's eyes started to water again, but she nodded and gave me a small smile. _That's better. I don't want to hear her cry again._ Happy flies over and sits on her lap. He gives her a warm smile, which she returned with a few tears still slowly rolling down her face. I moved to stand closer to her and looked at the rest of the guild. They had small smiles on their faces as they turned back to whatever they were doing before Lucy, Happy, and I came in.

I noticed that Loke was staring at Lucy with a serious face. _Why is he staring at her like that? Is he trying to figure out how to flirt with her? Of course, he's been avoiding her since they first met. Why?_ I glared at Loke. _If he's actually trying to figure out how to flirt with her, I'll beat him to a bloody pulp._ I intensified my glare, and he soon felt my gaze. When he looked at me, he flinched and quickly walked somewhere else to help with battle preparations.

I turned my gaze to the others in the room. Cana was trying to figure something out with her cards. She suddenly threw her cards down in frustration. "It's no good!" she yelled. "I have no idea where Mystogan is!" _So that's what she was looking for. It would definitely help to have him in the fight. He's strong. Not that I'll ever tell him that._

"Really?" Mira asked. "That's too bad." I turned my gaze to Mira, who was standing a few feet behind Cana. She was standing in front of a big communication lacrima.* _Who is she trying to contact? There are a few strong people on missions at the moment._

"If Lucy is their target," Cana continued, "then they'll come and attack again. We've got a lot of wounded. This could be bad." _Even though she drinks so much, she has a brain. I don't think many people in the guild have thought of that._

A face showed on the communication lacrima. It was Laxus. _Does she actually think he'll help?_ "The master is in critical condition," Mira explained, "and we can't find Mystogan. You're the only one who we can ask for help, Laxus." _He's never going to help defend the guild, and definitely not Lucy._

"Huh?" Laxus sneered. I growled quietly. _He grates on my nerves more than anyone in the guild. He's way too cocky. Next time he's here, I'll have to beat him down a peg or ten._

"Please," Mira begged. "Come back and help Fairy Tail in its darkest hour." I raised a brow. _It seems I've been moved down from Fairy Tail's darkest hour. It's nice, but more importantly, it's not going to make Laxus help._

Laxus laughed. "You mean that old fart finally almost croaked?" He smirked at Mira. "Do it yourself. The whole thing has nothing to do with me."

"Laxus, you-!" Cana jumped up and glared at Laxus.

"Well, it's true. The old man started all this, right?" Lucy flinched at that. _She still blames herself._ I stroked her hair again. "Why do I have to clean up after him?"

"They're after Lucy," Mira said. _If he doesn't care about his grandfather, he's not going to care about Lucy._ "She's someone in our guild."

"Really? So am I!" I stiffen and glare at Laxus. "She's that new girl with the big jugs, right? Tell her that if she'll be my woman, I'll help out!"

I shot my flames at the lacrima and incinerated it. The guild had gone silent again. I glared at everyone in the guild. Then I felt a small tug on my sleeve. I looked down and saw Lucy giving me a thankful smile. I calmed down a bit, and the guild slowly went back to what they were doing.

A few minutes passed with nothing eventful. Then a sudden loud noise disturbed the murmurs of the guild. Everyone looked around. Alzack ran down the stairs from the guild hall with a frantic look. "Look outside!" he yelled. Everyone ran outside, but I calmly walked. _What's the rush? It's going to be there even if I take my time._

I saw everyone stare in horror at something in the water. I turn to look at what would cause them to have that kind of expression. I raised a brow at the Phantom Lord guild hall. _Very convenient._ The guild hall had four legs and was walking toward Fairy Tail. I sighed. _This just made things more irritating._

 ***Lacrima – a Latin word for "tear." The Japanese use the word to describe certain types of crystals and beads. (Got the definition at the back of the printed manga.)**


	36. Chapter 36

**Recommendation: Between the Lines by riverofmemories**

 **Hello! 1. Sorry it's taking so long to update. Please be patient. 2. I will NOT be giving this one up before it's finished, so don't worry. 3. Sorry for any grammar and spelling mistakes. I have a beta reader now, and he's going to catch things that I don't see, but we're both human. Also, you should be very thankful he's my editor. He's made this new chapter so much better!**

~ Lucy's P.O.V. ~

I stared in horror as a cannon came out of the Phantom Lord guild hall. _It was bad enough that it can walk! Now it has a cannon!_ The inside of the barrel started to glow, and my fear escalated. _Why couldn't it have been a regular cannon instead of a magic one?_ I stepped closer to Natsu and lightly grabbed his cloak.

"This is bad!" Erza yelled. She turned toward us with an expression of mixed horror and desperation. "Everyone, get down!" Everyone ignored her. _Really? You ignore Erza, of all people, the one time you actually need to listen to her!_

"A guild walked up here!" _I thought people would have moved onto the fact that there is a giant cannon about to fire at us!_

"It's a magic focusing cannon!" _There we go. Someone finally caught up, and they even gave me a name for the cannon._

"Everyone, get down!" Erza yelled again. People finally noticed that she's yelling at them, but no one listens to her orders. A ball of magic starts to form and grow in the cannon's barrel. I take a step back and get ready to run. _Why am I going to run? I can't outrun a magic cannon._ Erza sees the magic as well and runs toward Phantom. I watch her run in shock. _What is she doing?_

"Erza, what are you doing?" A man shouted.

Erza completely ignored him and kept running. She requipped into thick armor and stopped between the guild members and Phantom's guild. "You will not harm our guild!"

"Her adamantine armor!" A man yelled. _Isn't his name Max? I really need to meet more people if we live through this and they let me stay in the guild._

"She doesn't think she can stop that thing, does she?"

"I don't care how high-level that armor's defense is supposed to be, but against something like that…" someone trailed off. _Isn't his name Nab? Wait, why am I thinking about what their names are at a time like this? I have more important things to worry about!_

"Don't do it, Erza! It'll kill you!"

"Get down!" Erza screamed. Natsu grabbed my wrist and yanked my hand off his cloak. He swiftly pulled me behind him. I held onto his cloak with both of my hands and closed my eyes in fear. I heard a boom and Erza's screams of pain. My eyes welled up with unshed tears. _No! I've cried enough. I have to be strong. I have to be strong for everyone and Erza, who were all hurt because of me._

Gray called out Erza's name, and I heard someone run to where Erza was standing. I opened my eyes and stepped out from behind Natsu. Erza's armor was completely shattered, with only a few cracked pieces left. I watched as her legs gave out, and she started to fall. Everyone was silent as we listened to Erza's labored breathing. _She did it. She stopped a blast from a magic focusing cannon with her body and lived. How did she become so strong?_

"I can't believe it," someone said. "She really stopped it."

"She saved us all!" someone else exclaimed. "Well, that's Erza for you," he mumbled.

"Erza," Gray called again as he ran even faster to get to her.

"Makarov and Erza are out of action" Jose said. My eyes widened in shock. "You have no final ace to play," he sneered. "I want Lucy Heartfilia handed over, and I want her _now_!"

"Don't give us that crap!" Alzack yelled.

"What guild would ever hand over their own to an enemy?" Bisca yelled. _One of their own?_ Tears filled my eyes again. _After everything, after Master being sent into critical condition, after people getting hurt, after getting shot at by a magic cannon, they still want me here? They still think of me as part of the guild?_

"Lucy is our friend!" Macao yelled. A tear slid down my cheek.

"That's right!" _Most of you don't even know me._

"Now scram!" _Yet I'm still your friend?_ I trembled as I held in my sobs.

"We're never handing Lucy to you!" _Even if it costs people their lives? I can't let everyone be hurt or killed because of me. They've already done enough. I'd rather be beaten or killed than have to watch others suffer because of me._

"Hand her over!" Jose demanded.

I wiped away my tears and stepped away from Natsu. "I'll-" I was interrupted by Erza.

"If it's a choice between handing over a friend or death, then I'd rather die," Erza yelled. My eyes widened in shock. The entire guild roared in agreement.

"Do what you want, but our answer will stay the same!" Gray yelled. "We're going to pound you into the dirt!" I couldn't hold back my tears anymore. They streamed down my cheeks like rivers.

"If that's your choice, then you're going to get a second dose of the Jupiter canon!" Jose yelled. Dread shot through me. _No._ "And this time, there is no Titania to help you. Fifteen minutes… that's all the time you get to wallow in despair!"

"What?" everyone yelled in shock.

"They can fire it again?" Max asked.

Gray knelt down beside Erza. He was about to help her up when she slumped back to the ground. "Erza!" he yelled again. He carefully picked her up. _I should help take care of Erza. It's because of me that all this is happening. No, I should give myself up. It will keep others from getting hurt._

"What?" someone yelled in shock. "They've got soldiers coming out?" I turned to see people in cloaks jumping down from the Phantom guild. My heart sank even more.

"That can't be right! They're going to shoot Jupiter, aren't they?"

"They're merciless."

Jose's voice caught our attention. "Look and see your hell, Fairy Tail. You only have two choices left to you." _If he's like the stereotypical villain, he'll give us choices that we won't like at all._ "Be killed by my troopers, or be killed by Jupiter." _…and there you go._

"I don't get it! They're going to kill their own people with Jupiter?"

"It's just a threat," someone said. "They won't actually shoot."

"No, they'll shoot," Cana said. I turned my attention to her. _How is she so calm?_ "Those are Jose's magical Shade Troopers. They aren't human. They're ghost soldiers that Jose created," she explained. _That means he can shoot Jupiter without casualties on his side._ "We have to stop Jupiter somehow."

I looked back at Phantom Lord's guild hall. _How can we destroy that? We would need everyone, but that would still probably take more than fifteen minutes. No, that wouldn't work anyways. There are also the shade troopers to worry about, so people would be distracted by them. We need someone who can destroy things quickly and easily._ My eyes widened, and hope filled me. _Why wasn't he the first person I thought of?_ I turned to look at Natsu. He was still glaring at Phantom. _I hate to say it, but that's even better! It'll be easier to get him to destroy Phantom if he's angry at them._ "Aki," I said shyly.

Natsu turned his head to look at me. He raised an eyebrow at me. I bit my lip and looked at the ground. _Should I even ask him? I'd be asking him to go into the enemies' layer, and he could get hurt. There's also the chance that he would be annoyed with me, and I don't want that._

I shook my head and looked back up at Natsu. _No, it has to be done. Natsu has the best chance, and he's the strongest person here. If anyone can destroy Phantom, it's Natsu._ "Will you destroy the Phantom guild hall please?" I asked.

Natsu glared at me a little. I looked at the ground. _He did get mad._ "Why did you ask me?" Natsu asked.

My eyes widened in surprise, and I looked Natsu in the eyes. I was silent for a few seconds before I smiled a little at him. My cheeks felt a little warm. "I thought you were the strongest here, so you would be the best choice to try and destroy Phantom," I explained. "Plus, you look like they're annoying you."

Natsu's eyes widened in surprise. _Well, that doesn't happen often._ He stared at me for a few seconds before sighing and making his expression neutral. He turned away from us and started to walk towards Phantom. I smiled even wider. _I'll take that as a 'yes' to destroying Phantom._ Natsu stopped and turned to give me a halfhearted glare. "Keep up," he said. He turned around and kept walking.

I was about to start following him when a blue blur flew into my chest. I stumbled back a few steps and looked down to see Happy. I smiled guiltily at him. _I can't believe I didn't even think about where Happy was through all of this. When did he even get separated? He was with me when we were in the guild._ "Hey, Happy," I said. "We're going to go destroy Phantom with Aki, ok? Will you fly me to the guild since Aki already left?"

"Sure, Lucy," Happy said. _He agrees with things so easily. I guess he's used to dangerous situations because he was always with Natsu._

I start to run after Natsu when Mira grabs my wrist. "Come with me!" Mira says. I'm forced to stop, and Mira starts to drag me away from Phantom. _What is she doing?_ "We have a safe-house. We're going to have to stay there until the battle is over."

My eyes widened in shock. I tugged my hand out of her grip. "But I should be fighting along with everyone else!" I exclaimed. "It's my fault that all of this happened!"

Mira looked at me with a serious expression. "No, it isn't, Lucy," she said calmly. She sounded so sure. I almost believed her. "And not one person here thinks that it is. They're doing it for the guild that Phantom destroyed, the members that were hurt, and because they want to protect one more person," she explained, "you." _If it wasn't for me, the guild wouldn't be destroyed, no one would have gotten hurt, and they wouldn't need to protect me._ I looked at the ground in guilt. "That's the kind of fight it is, and they can fight with that honor." She gave me a small smile. "So, do what we're telling you to do."

"It's so I can be safe, right?" I asked as I looked her in the eyes. She held my gaze and nodded in confirmation. I gave her a small smile. "Then wouldn't the best place to keep me safe be with the strongest man in the guild?"

Mira's eyes widened in shock. She then tapped her chin with a serious face. I could see the conflict in her eyes. "Do you understand the risk you'd be taking, Lucy? If you go with Dragneel, you'd be in your kidnappers' territory. It would make it a lot easier to kidnap you again."

My smile left my face and determination filled me. "I wouldn't be taking any more of a risk than the rest of the guild is taking. Did you forget that I'm part of the guild too? I'm not just a job or just some weak little girl that everyone needs to take care of. I'm part of the guild too. They destroyed the place I now call home. They hurt my friends, and are going to continue to hurt more people. The safest place I can me is by Chaos, the most feared man in the guild, and if I'm by his side, I can at least help the guild in some way."

Mira still looked conflicted, but she also looked guilty. _She really did forget I was part of the guild for a minute._ That thought stung. Mira then sighed and stepped away from me. "You're right," she said. "Go catch up to Dragneel."

I gave her a small smile and turned back to Phantom. Happy wiggled out of my arms and grabbed my shirt. "I should start flying you now so we can catch up to Natsu faster," Happy said. I gave him a grateful smile and nodded my head. _Now, let's hope we don't run into the Element Four or that guy named Gajeel without Natsu around._ Happy grabbed me, and we flew to catch up with Natsu.

Suddenly, overwhelming heat was all anyone could feel, and I heard everyone gasp in shock. I wasn't hurt, so I looked over at Natsu and watched in awe as black flames surrounded him as he took a familiar stance. I watched in awe as Natsu roared at the enemy guild, and a massive column of flames blasted from Aki. Turning to look in front of us, everyone saw that the flames make contact with Phantom's guild hall. Screams could be heard from the inside.

"I don't believe it," someone said. My attention was pulled away from Natsu and was

diverted to the people behind us. All of them were looking at Natsu in surprise and disbelief.

"Dragneel is protecting us."

"Dragneel," Gray said in shock. His eyes found mine and realization flashed in his eyes. He gave me a thankful smile and turned back to Phantom. _Why would he thank me? I didn't do anything. It was Natsu that saved everyone._

Once Natsu stopped breathing fire, we saw that the cannon along with a good chunk of the guildhall was completely incinerated. My eyes widened in shock. The rest of the guild gasped again.

"That's not possible," Jose yelled. My eyes widened in shock. _Even a wizard saint says it's impossible?_ "Even if you can use magic that strong once, there's no way you could do that again," he sneered. "Now hand Lucy Heartfilia over!" I looked at Natsu. He looked like he wanted to kill Jose, but he didn't look tired at all.

"I can't do something as weak as that again?" Natsu hissed.

"No, you can't do it again, _boy_!" Jose sneered.

"I am the chaos dragon! Anything and everything I touch turns to dust! I AM CHAOS! All crumbles before me!" Natsu bellowed. "And that roar wasn't anywhere near to my full power," he whispers to himself, but I somehow was able to hear him. _He was holding back? How powerful is he?_

"No _pixy_ is that strong!" Jose yelled. "Let's see you stand up to my guild's pride!" The building starts to transform into a massive robot. Phantom's guild started to draw something. My eyes widened in shock and cold fear washed over me. "Abyss Break," I whispered. _I've only read about it in books before! I didn't think Phantom would use it! We have to destroy Phantom NOW!_ Natsu growls and sends the most ferocious glare I've ever seen him have to Phantom. _And here we go._


	37. Chapter 37

**Recommendation: Cute As Fuck by RayreeAnne (I can't believe I haven't recommended this earlier. I love it!)**

 **Sorry it's taken so long again. On to the story! The fights I'm going to skip are the exact same as in the anime/manga. It's been boring to people to read the exact same thing as in the anime/manga, so I'm just going to put the fights where things change.**

Recap

"No _pixy_ is that strong!" Jose yelled. "Let's see you stand up to my guild's pride!" The building starts to transform into a massive robot. Phantom's guild started to draw something. My eyes widened in shock and cold fear washed over me. "Abyss Break," I whispered. _I've only read about it in books before! I didn't think Phantom would use it! We have to destroy Phantom NOW!_ Natsu growls and sends the most ferocious glare I've ever seen him have to Phantom. _And here we go._

~ Lucy's P.O.V. ~

Natsu shot off towards Phantom, which left Happy and I struggling to keep up. Natsu went into Phantom by going through the barrel of the cannon. _How is he going to get all the way through it? Won't the back stop him?_ I frowned and shook my head. _No. No, it won't._ Happy and I followed him and came out in a room. I furrowed my brows in confusion. _Why wouldn't the cannon have a back?_ I looked around and saw a gigantic lacrima with tubes attached to it. "What's that?" I asked.

I was surprised when Happy answered me instead of Natsu. "I assume it's a lacrima that gathers magic power," he said, "but I've never seen a lacrima this big before."

I nodded my head as realization dawned on me. "That's why the cannon didn't have a back. The lacrima gathered magic and sent it into the barrel. The barrel then compressed the magic to make it more focused on a single point."

Natsu hummed distractedly. I raised a brow at him. _Since when did he hum?_

"That's right," Happy said. "The Jupiter cannon is a magic focusing weapon that shoots concentrated magic power in lieu* of ammunition."

I nodded happily since I figured it out myself. _I've never read about magic weapons. I've only ever read about spells and cursed objects._ "So we need to break the lacrima in order to put the cannon out of commission, right?"

"Maybe," a male said. My eyes widened as I turned to see a guy standing in the room with us. "But that's not going to happen."

"Is he the guard?" Happy asked in shock. _I'm glad I'm not the only one surprised to see someone else in the room._

"It doesn't matter," Natsu growled. "He's a nuisance.*"

The man shook his head and said, "The nuisance is you."

"Who are you?" I asked as Natsu glared at the man.

He nodded at me. "Well, it looks like someone here has some manners. I am Totomaru of the Great Flame, one of the Element Four"

I nodded. _He seems to be ok with giving out information as long as I'm polite, so I might as well get some information that could be useful._ "I'm Lucy of Fairy Tail."

Totomaru nodded at me again. "I see," he said. "You're the target."

I bit my lip and nodded. "Why are you part of the Element Four?"

He raised an eyebrow at me. "Because I am one of the four strongest in the guild."

I suppressed a sigh. "How are you one of the strongest? What makes you so strong?"

He turned his nose up in arrogance. "I control the element of fire. Every fire is completely under my control," he explained. Dread filled me. _Natsu is a fire mage. We can't win._ I shook my head and determination filled me. _How can I say that? Happy and I are here. He has an advantage over fire mages, but I'm a celestial mage!_ Totomaru smirked at Natsu. "I've been wanting to face you, Chaos. I knew I would be the one to beat you."

Natsu seemed to have calmed down. He watched Totomaru with a bored expression. Before I knew what was happening, Natsu's fist connected with Totomaru's face, sending him flying. Totomaru crashed into the wall with so much force, the wall fractured.

"I don't need my fire to beat a weakling like you," Natsu growled. I cautiously moved closer to Totomaru and discovered that he was out cold. I turn my attention back to Natsu and saw that he was about to try and break the lacrima with his flames.

"Wait!" I said before I realized it. Natsu and Happy turned their attention to me. Natsu looked annoyed. I looked at the ground and shuffled uncomfortably. "If the lacrima absorbs magic, then you're fire would only feed it, right? I can call out Taurus, and he can destroy it with his ax. You can save magic, and I can do something helpful." No one said anything. _Should I not have said that?_

"That's actually a good idea," Happy said. I looked up and smiled. He smiled back.

"It wouldn't matter," Natsu said. "I use chaos, not flames. I could destroy it with both my magic and my bare hands. There was no need for you to stop me."

I looked at Natsu with pleading eyes. "I want to be some help," I said. He shook his head and turned around. A wave of defeat washed over me. "Please, Aki," I said quietly. Natsu stiffened. He stood still for a few more seconds before sighing. He nodded, and I couldn't help but grin. I ran up to him and gave him a hug from behind. "Thank you, Aki," I said happily. I quickly let go of him and stepped away. I stood beside Natsu and glanced at his face. He was scowling, but I could see a tint* of pink on his cheeks. I smiled to myself and unhooked Taurus' key again and held it out in front of me. "Open, gate of the golden bull, Taurus," I said. There was a bright flash of light and Taurus appeared in front of me.

"Moo!" he yelled with a fierce look on his face. Almost instantly, he gave me a perverted smile. I sighed. _I forgot that he's a pervert._ "Ms. Lucy, you are sporting a pair of beautiful utters today," he said. Natsu caught Taurus' attention with a deadly growl. _Again with the growling._ He was sporting a deadly glare. Taurus' face became serious. He pulled me behind him and pulled out his ax. "Don't worry, Ms. Lucy. I'll take care of him for you."

"No, no," I said quickly. I ran around Taurus and stood in between the two. "This is Natsu; he's a friend of mine. I actually need you to break that lacrima," I pointed at the giant lacrima, "with your ax."

Taurus stared at Natsu for a few more seconds before nodding and turning toward the lacrima. "Alright, Ms. Lucy," Taurus said. He ran toward the lacrima and jumped in order to hit the middle on it. _If I hadn't already known him, I would be really surprised that a bull can jump that high._ Once his ax connected with the lacrima, the lacrima shattered and fell to the ground. I smiled in pride. _Of course Taurus could shatter it with one blow._ He jumped back over to me. Taurus gave me another perverted smile. "Care to give me a smooch?" he asked.

The next thing I knew, Taurus was sailing across the room and collided with the wall. My eyes widened in shock. I looked around and saw Natsu calmly walking out of the room. _Did he just punch Taurus?_ "I think it's time for you to go back, Taurus," I said. "Thank you for the help."

"Any time, Ms. Lucy," he said. I could hear how dizzy he was. Taurus went back through the gate, and I grabbed Happy and ran after Natsu. _Happy is always quiet during fights. Is it because he was taught to stay out of the way and not interrupt?_ I shook my head. _I get so easily side tracked. I need to stay focused on the war._ Once I caught up to Natsu, I walked beside him. I heard explosions in a room close by. _What could be going on there? They wouldn't destroy their own guild hall, right?_

"Should we check out those explosions?" I asked. Natsu sighed in irritation and stopped. We turned towards the door where the explosion sounds came from. Before we opened the door, we heard Elfman yelling.

"I made a vow that I would never let my sister cry again! So why is she crying now?" he bellowed. I stopped in shock. _When did Elfman get here? And why is he saying that Mira is crying?_ "Who's making her cry?"

"I think we should leave that fight to Elfman," Happy piped up. I nodded and turned to follow Natsu again. We walked for a while, and I kept hearing fights everywhere we went, but we never stopped to participate or even to see who was fighting. _What are we even doing? Is Natsu looking for someone?_

"Hey, Aki," I said. He hummed in acknowledgement. _Seriously, when did he start the habit of humming?_ "Where are we going?"

"Jose," Natsu answered curtly.

I nodded and didn't say anything else. A few minutes later, Happy decided that he wanted to fly instead of letting me hold him. He flew above my head. I tried not to ask any more question since I still didn't know how angry Natsu was. _At least he let me come with him and help._

We walked into a spacious room, and wind started to blow. My eyes widened, and I stopped. I looked around but didn't see any holes in the walls or open windows. _I guess this is the part of Phantom that Natsu's fire didn't destroy, but if it's completely intact, how is there wind?_

"It's so sad," a man said. My head whipped around to the middle of the room. A small tornado swirled around and slowly dissipated,* revealing a big man with a blind fold. _Is he blind or is the blindfold a fashion statement?_ The man was looking at the ground and crying as he spoke. "Wings of fire will deaden and the stars will fall. All that will be left are corpses of a dragon and a celestial maiden." _That's a very poetic way to say that he's going to kill us. Too bad other bad guys don't put in this much effort into their threats._

Happy suddenly gasped. "That guy's part of the Element Four!" Happy exclaimed. My eyes widened in shock. _This crying, poetic man is part of the Element Four? He seems like he hates to fight since he keeps saying it's sad._

The man got into a fighting stance. "My name is Arai. I am the apex* of the Element Four. I have challenged the dragon slayer and the maiden of the stars." Tears were still rolling down his cheeks.

"Why are you crying?" I suddenly asked. Everyone in the room turned their attention to me. Happy and Arai looked surprised while Natsu looked irritated. I frowned and turned my attention fully on Arai. _I wanted to help him, but all I've done is gotten in his way and waist time. He probably regrets taking me with him. Why did he take me with him in the first place? No, I'm getting side tracked again. I need to save these thoughts for later._

"I cry because I am sad. I am sad because I must defeat you two," Arai answered.

"If it makes you sad, then why do it?" I asked.

"I must do it. Master Jose commanded me to defeat you. I will not let him down," he said.

"Why is your master making you do something you don't want to do? You shouldn't be forced to do something," I said.

Arai was silent for a few seconds. "I want to make Master Jose proud, so I will do what he tells me to do." Wind spammed into me and sent me flying across the room. I hit the wall by the doorway and cried out in pain. _I should have seen that coming. Why wasn't I prepared for a surprise attack?_ I stood back up and saw Natsu rushing towards Arai.

"Are you ok?" I looked to my right and saw Happy hovering by me with a worried expression.

I gave him a small smile. "Don't worry. I'm fine," I told him. I turned my attention back to the fight. Arai knocked Natsu back a few feet. That seemed to make Natsu even angrier. _Yet he's not using his magic. Why is he holding back?_ Natsu whipped around to face me with deadly glare. _Did I do something to make him that angry at me?_ I unconsciously took a step back and ran into something. _I moved away from the wall. There's no way I hit the wall again, so what did I run into?_ I whipped around and found a guy with long black hair and piercing everywhere smirking at me. _This can't be good._

 ***Lieu – instead ('in lieu of' means 'instead of')**

 ***Nuisance – an obnoxious or annoying person, thing, condition, practice, ect.**

 ***I couldn't resist putting that in there!**

 ***Tint – color (something) slightly; in this case there was a light shade of pink/a slight blush**

 ***Dissipate – to disappear**

 ***Apex – climax; peak; in this case he's saying he is the strongest of the Element Four**


	38. Chapter 38

**Recommendation: Red Card by crystal97 (I'm not really a soccer fan, but I love this story!)**

 **Sorry I took so long to update! I have writers block, and it's thanks to my beta reader that this chapter even came out right now. I'm sorry it's taking so long and that this is so short, guys (and girls).**

~ Natsu's P.O.V. ~

A man stood in front of Lucy and Happy with a smirk. _Don't just stand there!_ I lunged forward to get to them before the man hurt them. A sudden gust of wind knocked me off my feet and into the wall furthest from them. I glared at Aria. _I can't believe I was so distracted that I allowed him to hit me!_

"Lucy!" Happy yelled.

I turned my attention to the doorway and saw Lucy fly backwards. She cried out in pain when she hit the wall. _Since he hasn't taken her yet, I'm guessing he wants a fight. This will be interesting to watch._

Arai smiled grimly. "I shall have to take this fight seriously," he said. He pulled the cloth from around his eyes. He opened his eyes fully, and his smile became bigger. "Come at me, Chaos."

I ignored him, and kept my eyes on Lucy and the black haired man. Lucy stood back up and glared at him. _I don't see that often._ Lucy pulled a golden key out of her key pouch. "Open, gate of the golden bull, Taurus!" she yelled. A bright light appeared, and when it disappeared, there was the perverted bull once again. I glared at him. He felt my gaze and glanced over at me. His attention quickly returned to the man in front of him and Lucy.

The man threw back his head and laughed. "You think a cow can take me down?" He smirked at her. "You're even stupider than I thought." I glared menacingly at the man. _She's not stupid. He's lucky Lucy is fighting him instead of me._

"He's a bull, and he's the strongest spirit that I have a contract with," Lucy said. Confidence laced her words, and I could see exactly how confident she is by how she stood with her feet apart and chin raised. I'm surprised she doesn't have her arms crossed as well. _When did she get this confident? It was only a few minutes ago that she was timid and quiet._ "Let's get him, Taurus!" Taurus ran towards the man as Lucy pulled out a whip. I raised a brow. _I thought it was decoration. Wait, no. She used it against Everloo, didn't she?_

"I warn against ignoring me, Chaos," Aria said. I sighed irritably. _Can't he see that I'm doing something?_ Aria sent a giant gust of wind at me. I swatted the attack away. _How pathetic. I can't believe I allowed such a weakling to hit me earlier._ "What?" Aria gasped in shock. "How can you block my attack so easily?"

Lucy struck out with her whip and wrapped it around the man so he couldn't move. Taurus lunged forward and swung his ax. _Smart. She knows she and the bull can't keep up with him, so she tied him up. She also knows she doesn't have the strength to knock him out herself, so she made the bull go after him instead._ He smirked and watched Taurus charge at him with his ax raised. My eyes narrowed in suspicion. _What is he planning?_ The man's skin suddenly turned into iron. He bent forward and opened his mouth. Taurus' ax came down, and the man caught it with his mouth.

"You won't be able to block this!" Aria yelled. _I forgot he was here for a minute._ He sent another giant wind blade my way. I flicked my wrist and blocked the attack again. "How can you do that so easily? I'm not restraining my power any longer, yet you can still block my attacks as if it's nothing!" I turned my attention to Aria for a second. _He's not holding back? I expected more from the strongest of the Element Four._ The sound of breaking metal brought my attention back to Lucy and the man's fight.

Lucy's eyes were wide in horror, and Taurus' jaw dropped in shock. "He's eating Taurus' ax?" she gasped. I saw a chunk of Taurus' ax missing, and the man was chewing on something. I sighed. _What can she do now? Her strongest fighter is without his weapon._

The man swallowed and laughed. "What, little pixy," he sneered. "Didn't you know that dragon slayers can eat their element?" _He's a dragon slayer?_ I sighed in frustration. _Out of everything she could be fighting, it had to be a dragon slayer?_ "You didn't know?" he asked mockingly. "I'm Gajeel, the iron dragon slayer," he announced with a smirk. "How stupid can you be, pixy," the man sneered. "Did you expect that your win would be handed over on a silver platter? Too bad for you, princess, this is real life, and I've never lost a fight. Daddy isn't here to give you everything you want." Lucy's eyes widened in shock. Then she glared at him with tears brimming in her eyes. I growled and glared at him as well. _He's going to pay for making Lucy cry._ He laughed as he turned his attention to me. "What's wrong, Chaos? Did the little girl actually tame you?" My glare intensified.

"Open, gate of the maiden, Virgo!" Lucy yelled. Taurus disappeared, and a woman dressed as a maid showed up. I quirked an eyebrow up in surprise. _Why would she think this woman could do better than a raging bull with an ax?_ The man smirked and broke out of Lucy's whip. _So he's just playing with her._ Lucy glared at him.

"Punishment time, Princess?" Virgo asked. _Lucy has very strange spirits. How can a masochistic maid be very powerful?_

Lucy blanched and stared at Virgo in shock. "Of course not," Lucy said. Mischievousness flickered in Lucy's eyes for a second. Then she focused on Gajeel. _That can't be right. I've never seen Lucy be mischievous._ "Well, it's not your punishment time at least," Lucy said. "It's his."

Virgo sighed. "Another time then," she said. Virgo quickly disappeared in the ground.

The man laughed. "That's it? Your spirit just ran away!" he bellowed out with a laugh. Confidence radiated from Lucy once again. She seemed to get more confident as Gajeel laughed. _What is she planning? There's no way she should be so confident with him laughing at her like that._ His cocky smirk quickly disappeared as the ground under him opened up and he fell into the room below us. I smirked. _So that's her plan. Well played, Lucy._ Lucy glanced over at me, and I gave her a small nod of approval. She grinned excitedly and turned back to the hole Virgo made as Gajeel jumped back threw it with a scowl. I tensed, ready to jump in when he attacked. _He's too angry to play around now._

"Do not ignore your current opponent, Chaos!" Aria bellowed. "Your defense is strong, but your offense is lacking!" _Only because I'm not attacking._ "Turn and fight me seriously!" I ignored him again, but someone else caught my attention.

"I think I'd prefer to fight you," I heard Erza say. Everyone in the room turned their attention to the doorway, and there stood the now bandaged Erza.

I glared at her. _This situation is almost too annoying to put up with! Lucy had better repay me for getting involved in this!_ "Leave," I growled. Erza flinched, but stood her ground. My glare became harsher. _I will not have any more unwanted distractions!_ "You're _weak_ in that state. If you fight like that, you're signing your death wish." _Not like I care, but I don't want to deal with a crying Lucy again._

"I won't die," Erza says bluntly. She glares murderously at Arai. "He's the one that did that to master," she ground out. "Besides," she continued, "Gajeel is fighting Lucy. I'm not strong enough to take on a dragon slayer right now, so you need to watch over her." _How does she know his name already? Has she met him before?_

I sighed in irritation. _The one time she readily admits that I'm stronger than her, and she admits it only so I do what she says. She has a point though._ I glared at her. "If you die, I'll incinerate your body for making me deal with a crying Lucy," I growled. Erza flinched again and nodded hurriedly, wide eyed.

I glare at Gajeel as he gives me a cocky smirk. "Everyone says that you're on the same level as the ten wizard saints, so I'm going to beat you to a pulp and take your place," Gajeel said. I growled again. He laughed and said, "You don't seem to like that, Chaos. At least you'll be beat by another dragon slayer." I raised an irritated brow at him. His smirk widened.

"I don't care," I growled. I suddenly felt a strong and unpleasant power coming towards us. _That must be Jose. His magic power is much stronger than anyone else' in this pathetic guild._ I heard Erza take down Aria with a giant sappy speech attached to her attack. _I'm sure Lucy will appreciate the speech, but it's just annoying to me._ I sighed. _This needs to be taken care of so there's no distractions from the fight against Jose._ I glared at Gajeel as I decided what I have to do. Once I decided the fastest way to end this fight, I ran to Gajeel and smashed his head into the wall. The wall crumbled, and Gajeel went limp _He had such big talk for such a weak guy._ I turned around and found Erza, Lucy, and Happy smiling. _Where has Happy been this entire time?_ Lucy jogged over to Erza and wrapped one of Erza's arms around her shoulders to help support her. Erza gave her a grateful smile.

Someone suddenly started to clap from the doorway. I turned towards the sound and saw a creepy looking man standing there. "Bravo," he said. "You took out all of my strongest members." He suddenly smirked. "Now it's time to put you to the test against the guild master." _So I was right. Jose came out to fight._


	39. Chapter 39

**Recommendation: A Fresh Start by ProudToBeGinger It's new, so there are only two chapters out right now, but it's amazing!**

 **Sorry that this has taken so long to update. I was way too busy to even attempt to revise and edit this once my beta looked at it. I knew I promised a few of you that I'd have it updated the week after New Years, but I wasn't anticipating my teachers dumping a truckload of homework on me the day I got back to school and keep piling it up until now. Since it's been so long, I'll put the last paragraph from the last chapter before the new one starts.**

 _Previously_

Someone suddenly started to clap from the doorway. I turned towards the sound and saw a creepy looking man standing there. "Bravo," he said. "You took out all of my strongest members." He suddenly smirked. "Now it's time to put you to the test against the guild master." _So I was right. Jose came out to fight._

~ Natsu's P.O.V. ~

I heard Lucy suck in a sharp breath. I glanced over to see a nervous, but determined look on her face. _It seems she's nervous about seeing Phantom's guild master. Does she think we won't be able to beat him?_ Irritation flooded me. _Why the heck did I say_ we _? I can take him on my own, and I don't work with anyone! There is no_ we _!_ I directed my irritation towards Jose. He saw my irritation, and his smirk grew. My anger spiked.

"Honestly," Jose said, "I never thought you would give me this much fun." He made eye contact with me. "Of course, I also never thought that Chaos would help you. This day is full of irritating surprises." _He has some nerve to call me an irritation. If anything, he's the irritating one._ Jose raised his hand, and small phantoms curled around his hand.

"Dodge it!" Erza suddenly yelled.

I ran for Lucy, who was now holding Happy. I barely had time to come between her and Jose's magic before I was hit. I cried out in pain, but I stood my ground.

"Natsu!" Lucy yelled. She took a few steps towards me with worry all over her face. I turned to find Erza attacking Jose. Jose threw her back towards us. Erza flipped in midair and landed on her feet.

"Erza," I barked. She instantly stilled and faced me, but I could see that she was watching Jose out of the corner of her eye. "Take Lucy and Happy and get out."

Her eyes widened in shock. "But I can still fight," she protested. "I can help you beat Jose!"

I glared at her. "You'll get in my way, Titania. You can't even lay a scratch on my when you're rested. How can you help me when you're beat up and collapse every time there's a break in the fighting?" Erza flinched, but looked ready to protest.

"Oh?" Jose asked. "Does Chaos suddenly care about his guild mates? I personally thought he would do much better here, but I stand corrected."

"Of course not," I growled. I turned my glare to Jose. _I'm glad I went to Fairy Tail. Some of the people there can take more than one hit, unlike here._ "Go," I growled at Erza. Erza looked like she suddenly realized something and looked behind me. Realization flashed across her face before a gentle smile appeared. She nodded, ran over to Lucy, grabbed one of her hands, and took off. I watched Jose carefully as they left.

Jose chuckled. I raised an eye brow. "I see from Titantia's reaction that you scare the guild, but you're actions for Lucy Heartfilia contradict her reaction and you're claim of not caring about the guild. You protected her without a second though. It can't be that you care for the Heartfilia girl, can it?"

Instead of answering him, I run towards him and punch him. He hits the wall behind him. He laughs and stands up. "You're quite powerful, but you would have been even more powerful than you are if you'd joined Phantom Lord," Jose said. "I doubt that there are any mages that are greater. I certainly will _not_ accept there are any greater within Makarov's guild!" Jose shoots his magic towards me, but I easily dodge it. Jose flicked his wrist and the magic was redirected and hit me into the wall.

The breath was knocked out of me, and I struggled to breathe again. _What a horribly nostalgic feeling._ I struggled to stand strait and get in a defensive position. I watched Jose wearily while I caught my breath. _I have to stand strait to open up my lungs, but I'm still in a fight, so I can't expect them to wait for me to catch my breath. I knew getting the breath knocked out of me was painful. My body is trying to curl up even though I know I shouldn't. Now I'm glad that Acnologia constantly attacked me. I'm more prepared for surprise attacks like this one._

"Have you figured out why I left Makarov alive?" Jose asked. _Is he really trying to have a conversation in the middle of a fight?_ I finally caught my breath and hit him with my chaos dragon's claws. He cried out in pain, and quickly stood back up. He glared at me murderously. "Only after I have treated him to heartrending despair will I kill him! I refuse to give him a quick death! I will make him suffer anguish and misery! When he has felt agony, only then will I kill him!"

I stared at Jose with no emotions. _He's definitely crazy. He even has the crazy eyes. I can see the white all around his irises and his eyelids don't touch any part of the iris. That either means he's crazy or has that disease where someone's eyes look like they are about to pop out of their head, but based on how he's acting and that he's saying, he's crazy._ I then saw the triumphant, half-crazed smile on Jose's face. _Might as well ruin this guy's fun._ "I don't care," I said.

Jose looked shocked. Then he became even angrier than before. "Don't act like you have the power of the world!" he yelled. "You're getting most of your power from Lucy Heartfilia's family! You have all of the Heartfilia konzern to give you money! Money gives Fairy Tail power! If I had Lucy Heartfilia in my hands, I would bleed him and his entire company dry!"

Anger simmered my blood. "Where would you keep her?" I asked with barely contained rage.

"Based on how she acted the first time we kidnapped her, I'd keep her in a prison cell," Jose scoffed.

I glared murderously at him. "You were going to put her in a cell?" I roared. _I won't hold back anymore!_ Jose looked shocked and involuntarily took a step back. I flew at him with flaming feet and punched him as hard as I would. A red light showed through my shirt, but I didn't pay any attention to it. I was too focused on Jose. He flew through another wall and shakily stood back up. I attacked him with a roar. Jose's eyes widened, and he quickly flew out of the way. I lunged at him and kicked his side, sending him across the room. I was about to attack him again when I felt another strong magical power walking into the room. I glared at the intruder.

Makarov held up his hands. "That's enough, Natsu," he said. "You shouldn't kill him no matter how much you want to."

"Why not?" I growled.

He raised a brow at me. "You're the best person to deal with a crying Lucy, and you're the best at protecting her," he said matter-of-factly.

I glared at him. _Why the heck does that make me happy? It's inconvenient protecting her, and dealing with her when she's crying._ I glared down at Jose again before stepping away. I turned and brushed past Makarov.

"Lucy is very worried about you," Makarov called. I scoffed, but headed towards Fairy Tail anyways.

I jumped out of Phantom's guild hall and flew to the shore right in front of Fairy Tail. The red glow coming from my shirt slowly died out as I flew further away from Jose. I looked around and found that most of the guild was still fighting the phantom soldiers. _It looks like the guild members are at their limit._ Most of the guild looked tired and struggling to stay standing. I sighed. _This really is an annoying situation. Lucy is going to be worried and feel guilty, and I'm the one that's going to have to deal with it._ My thoughts were interrupted by someone calling my name.

I turned toward the persona and saw Lucy running towards me, relief evident on her face. Happy was flying right behind her, but he slowed down as they got closer. I knew what Lucy was about to do when she didn't slow down. I braced myself right before she practically tackled me in a hug. I relaxed a bit when I knew we wouldn't fall over, but I still didn't fully relax. _Why is she hugging me so much? She doesn't expect me to hug her back, does she? No, she shouldn't expect it when I've never hugged her back._ Sighing, I pat her head. _Wait, why is she hugging me in middle of a battlefield?_

She pulled back and smiled at me. Then her eyes widened in shock. She quickly lets go and steps away with a worried expression. "Are you ok, Natsu? Do you need doctor?" she asked. I quirked a brow at her and we stared at each other for a few seconds. She then sighed and looked at the ground. "This is just the most hurt I've seen you," she explained. _This is what I get for holding back so much._ I sighed again, and was about to turn to the battle when the clouds above us started to swirl.

Everyone on the battlefield gasped. "What's that?" someone yelled in panic.

"The whole sky?" someone else asked.

I scoffed. _These idiots don't even know their own master's magic?_ I turned back to the battle and saw that even the phantom soldiers had stopped.

"Do you know what this is?" Lucy asked.

"Mararov's magic," I said.

Lucy gasped. "Really?" she asked, shocked.

I sighed again. _Must I repeat myself?_ "Yes," I said. "He _is_ a wizard saint."

The water churned and crashed against the shore as the earth quaked. Everyone started to panic even more. A sudden blast of magic erupted from the Phantom guild. People screamed, and I grabbed Lucy to steady her. _They should just end this quickly. And why is no one fighting? Even the Phantoms have stopped._ Makarov's shoulders and head broke through the roof of Phantom. I raised a brow. _What's he doing now?_

"One," Makarov said.

"It's Fairy Law," Erza said happily.

"Fairy Law?" Gray asked. I turned my attention to them and saw Gray beat up and bleeding. _Why is he so beat up? Don't tell me he went into Phantom too. I only remember Elfman and Erza up there._

"Two," Makarov said.

"It's a sacred light that shatters the darkness," Erza explained with a smile. "It only affects those the caster sees as enemies." I suddenly remember all the times I beat up everyone in the guild. _Who would have known that would come to bite me in the butt the first time I actually help the guild._ "It's considered one of the legendary great magics."

"Three," Makarov said. "Fairy Law is invoked."

A blinding light erupted from Phantom and washed over everyone. I pulled Lucy towards me and turned her to face me so she wouldn't have a chance of hurting her eyesight. I covered my eyes right after. _This will be painful._ I heard the phantom soldiers yell out in pain, but nothing happened to me. Slowly, the light receded and disappeared. I opened my eyes and stared in shock at the battlefield. I then looked down and saw that Lucy was safe and that I didn't have any more wounds than I did before Fairy Law. _Makarov doesn't see me as an enemy?_ I stared at Phantom's guild hall, where Makarov used to be. I smirked. _You're quite interesting, Master._

 **I know I've talked to a few of you about it before, but can anyone guess what the red light is?**


	40. Chapter 40

**Recommendation: Berserk by Rivendell101**

 **I'm so, so sorry! I've been having major writer's block on all of my fanfics. Luckily, I got some inspiration thanks to a friend who set me up on a group chat with some funny people. I'm sorry the updates always take so long. My creativity is on and off again, but I at least know what I want to do with the next chapter. Also, I've been super busy with homework lately since it's the end of the year and my teachers want to get as many grades in as possible. Also, tot he person that wrote the Dark Corner review, you made me so happy! On to the story!**

~ Lucy's P.O.V. ~

There was a brief pause as everyone stared at Phantom. Then, as if there was some silent signal, everyone in Fairy Tail cheered. My gaze swept over the cheering crowd. People were hugging each other with smiles on their faces even though they were beat up and bloody. I smiled and hugged Natsu. He stiffened, but didn't pull away. I giggled a little. _Did he not realize that he's still holding me?_ I sighed happily and leaned my head on his chest. He stiffened even more and dropped his arms from around me. _Did I cross a line this time? I don't think I've done this before._ I was about to pull away when I felt him place one of his hands on my head. He didn't move it, but it was enough for me to know that I could stay here for a little while. Happy landed on my shoulder and wiggled his way into a position where he could rest comfortably between us. I giggled again and stayed there for a few more minutes.

After a few minutes, everyone became quiet. I turned my head and saw that Master Makarov was now on the shore. I rested the side of my head on Natsu's chest as I watched the master walk through the crowd and stop in front of the destroyed guild hall. "Well, this time," Master paused, "we sure made a mess, hm?"

I bit my lip and pulled away from Natsu, but I still had Happy in my arms. I gave him a little squeeze for my own comfort. Biting my lip, I called out, "Master?"

He looked over his shoulder and smiled at me. "Hmm?" he hummed. "That's some face you have on there."

Tears welled in my eyes. _How can I not have this kind of face? I'm the reason for all this._

"Don't look like that, Lu," I heard Levy say. I gasped, and my head whipped around to see Levy, Jet, Droy, and Reedus all smiling at me. "Not after everybody pitched in and won this fight."

Droy turned his head to look at the guild hall. "Sure it left the guild in ruins, but," he trailed off.

"It can always be built up again," Jet said.

"Oui," Reedus agreed.

I started to tremble as I looked at them. Happy flew out of my arms as Levy began to walk toward me. "Sorry we made you worry about us, Lu," Levy said with a sad smile.

"No," I said with a trembling voice. I covered my mouth with my hand. "This is all my fault," I said.

Levy shook her head. "I heard all about it. Not a person here blames any of this on you," she said.

Reedus scratched the back of his head. "I," he hesitates, "couldn't help. I'm sorry." I shook my head and looked at the ground. _They shouldn't be apologizing. This is my fault. They shouldn't be apologizing!_

"Lucy," Master said, "happiness and sadness." He paused before continuing, "We can't share in them completely, but we can share them to a certain extent." Happy lightly flew into my arms. I hugged him close to me. "That's what a guild is all about. One person's happiness is everybody's happiness. One person's anger becomes everyone's anger. And one person's tears is everyone's tears. There's no reason for you to feel guilt. You should already know how everybody feels." My tears role down my cheeks and onto Happy's head. He snuggles closer to me. "So lift your head up," Master continues. He turns and smiles at me. "You are a member of Fairy Tail after all."

I start to cry even harder and slowly fall to the ground and clutch Happy closer to me. Levy smiles down at me, and bends down to offer her hand to help me up. Before I can reach for her, I feel a someone sit behind me. Levy's eyes widen, but she doesn't move away. Instead, she sits down in front of me. I turn my head to see the Natsu is sitting down behind me with his back to me. _Is he trying to comfort me?_ I turn my body enough to lay the side of my head on his back.

By the time I calmed down, the rune knights had shown and ordered us to stay put. Natsu glared at any of the knights that came close to us. I watched as the rune knights set up tents and started to question each guild member. One of the knights walked confidently over to us. The guild members around us gasped and got in his way.

"Get out of my way!" he commanded.

"We're trying to save your life," Cana snapped.

The knight glared. "Are you threatening me?" he asked.

Reedus quickly shook his head. "No," he said quickly. "It's just that the man in the cloak over there is Natsu Dragneel, and he's been in a bad mood all day. We can't to make sure he doesn't snap and hurt you."

The knight's eyes widened, and his face paled. He looked at Natsu, Happy, and I, and his eyes focused on me. He let out an irritated breath and glared at the guild members in his way. "Do you think I'm stupid? Chaos wouldn't get mixed up in this. He doesn't care about anyone, and he definitely wouldn't let a girl lean against him like that. He's heartless."

Levy shook her head. "I would normally agree with you, but she's an exception. She's his job partner, and she's new to the guild. He's very protective of her, and the fact that she's hurt and crying isn't helping his mood. If you take her way from him, he won't be happy." _He cares about Happy too._

The rune knight pushed the guild members out of his way. I glared at him. _How dare he push them out of the way! They're hurt!_ He marched up to us and glared down at us. "Get up," he commanded. "It's time to answer some questions."

"Not until you apologize for shoving injured people out of your way," I said. Natsu turned to glare at him. "Also, you have to apologize for calling Natsu heartless." Natsu stiffened up, but he didn't move besides that.

The rune knight huffed in annoyance. "I just told the truth. Now get up before I drag you in for questioning. Based on what I've heard, you're the cause of all this, so no one would mind how I'd treat you." My eyes widened in shock. _I thought Rune Knight's were more professional than this._

Natsu growled and glared at the knight. The knight raised a condescending brow at him. Guild members gasped and stepped away from Natsu. The knight noticed this and looked around to see the guild member's pale faces. He looked confused before his eyes found Levy. She looked angry and stood her ground while others backed away more. Realization flashed in his eyes as he looked back at Natsu. The color drained from his face as he stepped back. I glared at him as Natsu stood up.

The rune knight stumbled back a few steps. "I'm sorry," he said quickly. "I'm sorry, Chaos." A few other knights ran to the other knight's side. As soon as they saw how angry Natsu was, they paled. "I didn't know she was yours. I wasn't actually going to hurt her. I promise." Natsu growled again.

"That's enough, Natsu," Master said. I turned my head to see Master a few steps away from us with an authoritative look on his face. "The rune knights just want to ask her a few questions. I'm sure they will have someone more respectful question her, so there is no reason to be angry."

Natsu huffed angrily one more time before sitting back down beside me. _Good job, Master. You made him back down with no casualties._ I stood up and quietly left with another rune knight to be questioned.

After the incident with Natsu, the rune knights were much more cautious about what they said around me and about me. They questioned the guild for an entire week, but Natsu was only questioned once. I'm sure that he either didn't answer any questions or scared them so much they didn't want to get on his bad side. Either way, the rune knights questioned us and the town enough to confirm that Phantom Lord started the war, so they let us off. After the rune knights finally left, the guild started to clear the rubble of the old guild hall and started to make plans to build a new one.

I picked up a bucket of nails to give to the guild members that were working on the guild. Humming, I started to walk toward Master when Max accidently hit the side of my stomach with his broom. I yelped in pain and grimaced from the pain.

"Sorry, Lucy," Max said. "I didn't see you there. I didn't hurt you too hard, did I?"

I gave him a small smile. "No, you didn't," I said. "It's just a left over bruise."

Happy suddenly flew over to me with Natsu in tow. "Is it from when Gajeel hit you?" Happy asked.

I gave Happy a small smile too. "Yes, but don't worry. It doesn't hurt much." Natsu took the bucket from me and handed it to Max. Max took it without a word and ran to Master. "Why did you do that, Aki? That was my job."

Natsu shook his head. "Go home until you aren't in pain anymore," he said.

My eyes widened. "What?" I asked incredulously. _Does he think I'm that weak?_ "It's only a bruise. I can work with that. Plus, most people here are way more injured than I am."

Natsu just stared at me. Happy giggled. "But they aren't you, Lucy. Natsu wants you get better quickly and keep from being hurt," he said.

I shook my head. "This is all my fault," I said. "I should help them build it back up, and it's only a bruise!"

Natsu's eyes narrowed. "Go home, or I'll beat up every person that hurts you by accident."

My eyes widened. _Is he blackmailing me?_ I huffed in annoyance and nodded. I started to walk back to my apartment. _Fine. I'll go back. It's only to keep him from hurting the others though. Wait! Since when did he start blackmailing people?_

I made it back to my apartment and slammed the door closed. After locking the door, I marched to my room and opened the door. I stopped dead in my tracks at what I saw. Happy was laying on my bed. "Happy?" I asked.

He smiled at me. "Hey, Lucy," he said.

I raised a brow at him as I walked over and sat on my bed. "What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be help in building the guild?"

Happy shook his head and smiles wider. "Nope," he said. "Natsu sent me here to make sure you rested. He told me to find him if you did anything you weren't supposed to."

I nodded my head. "So Aki is staying to help the guild?"

Happy shook his head. "No again," he said. "He's just watching. He doesn't feel like helping."

I giggled a little at that. _I should have known._ I get up and sit in the chair at my desk. "Well, I'm going to write for a bit," I said. Happy nodded and got comfortable on my bed. I decided to write to mom. As I wrote, I remember the some of the things that Father did. One memory stuck out though. It was my first birthday without my mother.

 _I skipped into my father's office with a smile. I stopped in front of his desk and smiled up at him. Holding out a giant rice ball, I tried to get my dad's attention. "Hey, Papa! I made you a rice ball!" Father ignored me, so I tried to get his attention again._

 _His reaction was different than I thought it would be. "I'm working. Leave me be," he said._

 _I frowned and started to walk away. When I was halfway to the door, I turned back around with a smile. "Say," I began._

 _Father interrupted me before I could finish. "Can't you understand when I tell you you're in the way?" he yelled. I flinched and shrunk back. "Cooking is the exclusive domain of the chef! If you have so much free time, then use it to study instead of being a waste of space! Now go!"_

I sighed at the memory. _It only got worse from there._ I turned to look at Happy. He looked so peaceful as he slept. _HE must be so upset that the guild hall was destroyed._ Guilt clawed at me again. Sighing, I turned back to the letter to my mom. _I'm sighing so much today. I need to stop, but it won't stop unless I get rid of the guilt, but I won't be able to get rid of it. Dang it! I need to do something! There's nothing I can do though!_ I tugged my hair lightly with one hand.

An idea suddenly popped in my head, and my eyes widened. Fear shot through me, and I took a shaky breath. Pushing away my fear, I stood up and checked on Happy again. I bit my lip and sat down on the bed. _He looks so peaceful, and I want to keep it that way. I have to do this. It's the only way to make sure he doesn't mess with them anymore. He won't hurt them anymore._ I sighed and lightly kissed Happy's head.

Happy smiled a little, and slowly woke up. "You're not writing anymore," he said.

I smiled sadly down at him. "I did stop writing, but I have to go somewhere now."

Happy's brows furrowed in confusion. "Where are we going?" he asked.

I shook my head and stood up. "Not _we,_ Happy," I said. " _I_ have to go somewhere." I picked up my purse and keys.

"Wait, Lucy," Happy said frantically. I stopped and turned to look at him. He looked really nervous adn worried. "I have to stay with you," he said. "Natsu told me to look after you and make sure you're resting, and I don't think going somewhere is resting."

I shake my head. "I'm sorry, Happy, but I have to do this or none of this will stop. He'll hire someone else to hurt us," I said.

Happy's eyes widened and he looked frightened. "You're going to your father's house, aren't you?" I nodded my head. Happy shook his head frantically. "You can't go back there! We need you here! You already said you don't want to go back, so why are you going back?" A tear slipped down Happy's cheek. It felt like my heart was being rung out.

I quickly sat on the bed and scoooped Happy in for a hug. He snuggled into my chest, and I felt my shirt becoming damp with his tears. "I'm sorry I scared you, Happy," I said gently. "I'm not going back to stay. I'm only going back to tell him to stop hiring people to attack us. I'm coming back right after I tell him that."

Happy looked up at me with hopefull, uncertain, tear filled eyes. My heart constricted again. "Really?" he asked quietly.

I gave hima warm smile and said, "Really. Happy smiled at me and hugged me again. We stayed like that for a few minutes before he pulled back and said that we should tell Natsu. I frowned and said, "No, Happy. I need to do this on my own."

Happy shook his head again and determination filled his eyes. "No," he said. "We have to tell Natsu. He'll want to come with us."

My resolve hardened. Shaking my head, I said, "I need to do this on my own, Happy. I started all this. This, the guild being destroyed and people getting hurt, was because _I_ ran away. _I_ need to fix it."

Happy frowned. "Natsu and I won't get in your way," he said. "We jsut want to come to make sure you're ok. You do all the talking like you normally do, and Natsu will be there to intimidate hima dn show him that you aren't bluffing." My resolve wavered, and Happy gave the final push to crush my plan to go alone. Tears filled his eyes as he said, "If we didn't go, I'd be worried that he would do something to you and no one is there to stop him."

I sighed in resignation. "Alright," I said. "You can come, but I won't drag Natsu into coming too."

Happy shook his head again and frowned. _I've never seen him frown this much before._ _At least his tears are gone though._ "He'll think you left if you don't tell him. He knows that he drives people away, and he may think that you're scared of him now."

I lifted a skeptical brow. "Natsu will think I'm scard of him after I spend to long hugging him a few hours ago?"

Happy shrugged. "I said that he _may_ think that. He may also think that you ran away because you're scared or feel guilty. Either way, he'll either be hurt, angry, or both. Do you really want to shorten his temper even more?" I stared at Happy with wide, shocked eyes. _He's always been so sweet and innocent. When the heck did this thoughtful and slightly manipulative side start to form? Or has he been hiding it this whole time?_ I watched Happy wearily and shook my head. He smiled cheerfully. "Off to tell Natsu then." His wings came out, and he started to fly toward the door.

"Can't we just leave a note?" I asked. "I don't want to drag Natsu around because of my own problems."

Happy shook his head with a serious expression. "No," he said. "We have to tell Natsu in person so he will come with us and make sure we don't get hurt."

My stomach dropped when I realized that he had said _we_ instead of _you_. "Okay," I said. "Natsu is coming to protect us." Happy smiled happily and flew to the door. I sighed and walked after him. Nerviousness began to take hold of me as I closed the door to my appartment. _Is taking Natsu really a good idea?_


End file.
